


Apotheosis

by enigmaticEditor



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Minor Character Death, and what happens when i deconstruct the various pokemon canons and reassemble them, as casually queer as i can make it, basically me practicing longform storytelling, because this is among so many other things a love letter to the hoenn region, incredibly difficult to tag or categorize, mostly an OC-focused story, other things it is include:, weirdly anachronistic in concept and content due to being conceived a decade ago, with a few hoenn NPCs thrown in, with the goal of making a coherent consistent and reasonably charming world
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2020-07-29 07:43:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 70,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20078626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticEditor/pseuds/enigmaticEditor
Summary: Funny thing, stories. Every beginning the middle of one, every ending the start of another. They mingle and interweave such that following a single thread becomes all but impossible.Still, we must try. The world fell hundreds of years ago, but it rose again. The gods passed into slumber, but they woke up in turn. And Jake DeSantos, fleeing the Team he was meant to be a part of, finds himself dragged into a conflict that has already begun. Its ending approaches, but it's up to him to determine whether another beginning will follow, and, if so, what that beginning will be.





	1. Prelude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme: [Clockwork Sorrow](https://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/clockwork-sorrow-2)

The gods sleep.

Lulled to slumber by the fading world, they shut their eyes one by one. Some tried to combat the weariness growing within them, only to find their power waning as their domain was desecrated. They struggled against the reality that had borne them until they could do so no more. Others passed peacefully into unconsciousness, relieved for a moment of rest that they had not experienced since creation. All of them expected to wake up again, in the fullness of time.

As they slipped into the long night, all that they represented vanished with them. The countless manifestations of their power, in all their wild glory, ceased to be. Gone they were, as if they had never been. Nothing of them remained but the very faintest of echoes, haunting the empty wastes of imagination.

Without the guides, fate gave way to chance. Without the guardians, the vicious rose triumphant and the valiant faltered. Without the gods, the universe was little but spinning spheres.

How could such a world prosper?

The fury came, inevitably. From dust, to atoms, to nothing. The Fall was without heroes, without salvation, without mercy.

And yet… the world endured.

Survivors of the cataclysm, spared by blind luck rather than the notoriously fickle and long absent Luck, began to rebuild. But their efforts were slow and precarious, as they had not yet been changed. The fire that burned the world had done little to extinguish the fire in their hearts. If not for an outside influence, they would have simply destroyed the last embers of their civilization.

As nature reasserted itself, something new arose. Or was it something old?

They returned, slowly and steadily. From the earth, the sea, and the sky they came. As the gods began to stir in their sleep, their emissaries spread a message among the inhabitants of the planet. The same one they had tried to express so long ago.

The message was a lesson. The caring were to be praised, the cruel were to be scorned. The generous paid back in kind, the greedy given their due. The trusting befriended, the suspicious ostracized.

Many began to work and live alongside the messengers. Others formed stronger bonds, and as they did, the messengers grew in stature and power, drawing upon the strength of the renewing world. And when these powers began to clash, for sport, for defense, for the sheer joy of it, the ripples roused the first of the gods from her sleep.

And the entity known as Fear laughed!

She had been the last of the gods to rest, despite her efforts otherwise. In the human heart, fear has the first and final say. And so she was present to watch as destruction loomed ever closer, powerless to fight it even if she had felt it was right to do so. The events leading to the Fall were well underway by the time she had finally shut her eyes, tired beyond comprehension.

But now she was awake. And it was wonderful!

She was not alone for long. Her counterpart, Life, had been the first to slip away. They were already burdened by the effort of creation and the dividing of their powers, and as their masterpiece began to fail, they gladly accepted oblivion. But as the natural world rose, so must they.

And now, gazing upon what had become of their grand work, they were enraged.

How dare the fates of gods be dictated by mortals? This they could not abide, and in an instant they wiped the world clean. Or they would have, if they had retained more than a sliver of their original power. What is the use of a god of creation once the creation is finished? And so they seethed in silence.

Others followed. Time reared his head, the events of the stolen centuries flashing through his mind. Space was not far behind, and so too was their Reflection in broken glass. The smaller powers of nature rose up, giving consciousness to the lakes, volcanoes, and forests. Memory remembered. Emotion felt. Willpower acted. The earth, sea, and sky regained their lost voices.

The gods are awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I count three references to three different stories told in three different formats. Fitting, considering the number of times I repeated things in threes in this here prologue. It just sounds so good. 
> 
> Anyway. "What the fuck is this?" you may be asking. Well, the short answer is: let's find out together. The long answer is: a story conceived over a decade ago which adheres to and plays off of tropes that are no longer relevant or likely to be recognized by anyone, but which also has been altered significantly from the original concept in accordance with both my advancement as a writer and more modern story archetypes. As for what exactly that means, I think I'll let you figure that out, if you are so compelled.


	2. Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme: [Showtime (Piano Refrain)](https://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/showtime-piano-refrain-3)

It begins the same way it ends, with one step forward.

Of course, this was not the _true_ beginning, from which all stories come. That would be difficult indeed to pin down. Several slightly faker beginnings also vanish into the mists of time. When Life ascended and crafted the world it desired, that could be a beginning. When the planet burned and was born again, that could be a beginning. When the first was chosen, the ripples spreading across the horizon as the harbinger of the conflict to come, that could be a beginning.

This beginning was a simple one. While the mark of destiny was not yet upon him, the time was rapidly approaching. His actions in these moments were among the most important ever to occur in this pocket of reality. Not because of the actions themselves, oh no. But because of whose eye would be drawn to him soon, very soon. Who would choose him, who would mark him, without his consent or knowledge, and set him firmly on the path that would lead him to his ending.

Had Jake known this, he still wouldn’t have stayed in his room.

He hated this place, with its cold concrete walls and smell of sweat and dust. He hated doing nothing, wasting away his life tinkering and reading. Most of all, he hated the man who had put him here.

Once, Jake had believed that man’s lies. That Jake owed him for providing for him. That it truly was better to stay in here, away from the world. He had utterly rejected these notions.

Seven years. Seven years he’d been here. He hadn’t seen the sun, or the stars, or felt the wind on his face. He couldn’t even leave his room during the day, as meaningless as days were to him. And for what? Familial loyalty? It occurred to him- as so many things had been, now that he was preparing to run- that loyalty was a two-way street. His brother had shown no loyalty to Jake’s happiness, and thus had forfeited his right to ask anything of him.

Even so, a hint of treacherous guilt twisted in his gut. He pushed it down. His brother was part of something terrible, if the rest of the occupants of the base were any indication. Living in this stale, horrid place had stripped him of nearly everything, but he had fought hard to retain his sense of right and wrong. And something was so very wrong here. 

He slung his stolen backpack over his shoulder and took one last look at the room in which he’d spent the majority of the past decade. If it were up to him, every last atom and quark in the place would shrivel into nothing. As it was, his glower only served to make him feel worse.

He turned. He walked away. He did not look back.

  


It wasn’t difficult for Jake to make it to the entrance without encountering anyone. Through nighttime wanderings, he had memorized the winding paths through the base better than most of the other inhabitants. The couple of times he heard someone coming, it was simple for him to slip away and find another route.

He made it to the gated entrance with some time to spare and located a hiding place behind a pillar. He settled down to wait.

He was too tired to be truly anxious, but even so, stray thoughts began passing through his mind. He couldn’t help but think about the many ways this could go horribly, horribly wrong. He could be caught instantly and locked up forever. He could even be killed by some security system he didn’t know about. Even if he made it out, what then? He had no idea where he was. In Hoenn, somewhere. Probably. He’d been jogging around the base for the last few months, hoping to build up the stamina to get himself a significant lead, but he was no athlete. And if he was anywhere close to civilization, he had no idea what reception he’d receive while still in the striped outfit of the Team. If he wasn't he could easily run into some wild Pokemon. He had little practice handling the creatures; it could get ugly, fast. No good options.

Jake was right. It wouldn’t have worked. Any other day, any other hour, he would have been caught, beaten, and dragged before the Leader of Aqua before he saw the merest hint of blue sky. But as it happens, luck (or perhaps Luck, even then) was in his favor.

His brooding was interrupted by a crashing sound at the door. He had been so lost in thought he hadn’t noticed the sounds of anyone approaching. Besides, they weren’t due for a decent while yet. But there was quite the ruckus outside the base. 

He tensed. This couldn’t be normal. Alarmed shouts mixed with a strange high-pitched wailing he couldn’t identify.

A booming voice cut through the chaos. “Open the damn door, ya idiots!”

Jake recognized it as belonging to Matt. Brawler, drunkard, musclehead. His brother had assured Jake that the brute was a valuable member of the Team. Jake assumed that was true. If the man regularly injured his coworkers over petty spats, or for no reason at all, and was allowed to stay, he must somehow make up for it in the field doing… whatever it was. Jake didn’t want to think about it.

The door swung open suddenly, the sounds of the commotion amplifying. A small army of men and women in blue and white uniforms flooded in, and not a single one noticed Jake as they fled for the safety of the inner base. Jake’s eyes returned to the door, which remained open. There was still something happening outside. Not everyone had made it inside. He could still hear Matt’s bellowing and several other panicked voices.

He was debating whether to take a look when the front wall exploded.

A blue and white blur, trailing smoke, slammed into the opposite wall and slumped to the floor. From the ruins of the entranceway strode Matt, returning a charred Electrode back into its ball. Another wave of identical uniforms followed him, flanked by a crowd of Mightyena and Golbat. The ones in the back were dragging a net, inside of which a strange Pokemon lay hopelessly tangled.

It was red and white, with a long neck. A pair of thin red wings and awkward looking arms and claws, but no legs to speak of. It looked beaten and battered, and twitched painfully in its net.

There was a stir on the other side of the room. Unsteadily rising into the air was another Pokemon, similar to the one in the net but larger and blue instead of red.

“Still up for it, are ya? Well, I’d be happy t’oblige ya!” came Matt’s jeering as he tossed out a ball that contained another Electrode. “Come on then, get summa this!”

Jake lacked the bravery to intercede, even confronted with proof that his suspicions were correct. The fire in the eyes of the blue levitating Pokemon scared him even more than Matt’s laughter. As the battle raged, Golbat swooping everywhere and Mightyena leaping into the air, arcs of electricity dissipated by psychic force, Jake edged his way to the door. The coast was clear. Everyone was thoroughly distracted.

It was time to go.

He ran, and when he did, he was noticed.

You.

He felt the word in his mind, racked with pain and sorrow.

You’re different.

He didn’t stop, reaching the door. He could see the light of the evening sun. It had been a long time.

Can you help?

His resolve shattered, and he looked back. The battle wasn’t going well for the lone Pokemon. It had been pinned to the ground, and two women Jake recognized were approaching it. Twins, part of Matt’s regular entourage. They liked knives. That was their primary character trait. They wielded them now, looking for an opening.

Can you help?

Jake’s gaze was drawn to the Pokemon trapped in the net. It had opened a single golden eye, which was glowing faintly.

Can you help?

Jake trembled at the touch of another, alien mind. He could feel this creature’s anguish, wounds all across its body, and a deeper suffering beyond that.

Please help.

Jake shook his head.

Please help.

There was nothing he could do. He turned away from the scene.

Please help.

He ran.

  


Fortunately for Jake, the base was fairly close to civilization, nestled in the cliffs by the coastline. He recognized the lighthouse in the distance, fragments of the day he had arrived coming back to him. This was Lilycove. 

He made it to the city as the last traces of light vanished over the horizon. But after he passed the docks and reached the residential area, doors began slamming closed and windows were shuttered. He caught snippets of hurried conversations from within, fearful and exhausted.

“Thought they left…”

“…would but my Growlithe’s still injured from earlier…”

“Aqua again…”

“…need to get a Leader here.”

Jake had slowed down to rest as he approached the city, but sped up again as he realized he was most definitely not welcome. He rushed out of Lilycove, ending up on the outskirts of the forest west of town.

He paused to catch his breath, leaning against a tree. It was then that he heard something strange. A sharp whistling noise, coming from far away. The air seemed to be vibrating. It took him only seconds to spot the source. Far to the east past the city, there was a disturbance in the sky. Clouds were swirling where there had been no clouds a moment before, and inside them, something was taking shape.

Looking closer, he realized it looked very much like it was right above the place he had come from. The base. As he watched, the clouds formed into a rain of small meteors. He heard the roar as they plummeted, and faintly, the crash as they made impact.

Smoke rose, and it in, he thought he saw something rapidly accelerate away from the base. He hoped it was those two Pokemon, though he was alarmed at the idea. Were the creatures truly so powerful as to conjure meteors from nothing? What couldn’t they do?

He shook his head. It was none of his concern. He barely spared a thought for the safety of his brother back at the base. He had no fondness left for the man. What he needed to do now was get off the road. He was extremely lucky that whatever had befallen Team Aqua would likely give him even more of a head start, but they had plenty of Mightyena to act as trackers. He couldn’t make it easy for them.

He vanished into the woods, heading north.

Jake couldn’t have known that he was now being watched very, very carefully.

  


Several hours' trek later, he was searching for a place to rest. The moon, another welcome sight which he had almost forgotten about, was going to set soon. He had been relying on it to guide him.

Up ahead, through the jungle, he spotted a faint, flickering light. A campfire? Very possibly that of a passing trainer. If he could talk to them without them seeing him, he could explain himself. They might be able to help him.

He crept closer. The campfire illuminated the clearing in the trees, in which a couple dozen figures were huddled. Some sleeping, some sitting and talking amongst themselves. Jake frowned. Did trainers travel in large groups? It had been so many years… he didn’t know that his vague recollections were credible.

He got as close as he dared, his eyes struggling to adjust to the light of the campfire. He carefully peeked around a tree.

Every single person was wearing the same outfit. Strange bulky red clothes, all with a hood.

Jake realized with horror that they seemed just like Team Aqua. Different, but similar. What if… what if that’s how it was outside the cities now? Just bands of roving criminals? Had the order he had known as child collapsed that much? The thought was terrifying. He started to back away, but his foot caught on a vine.

This misfortune wasn’t luck, or Luck, but the work of a very different force. Jake stumbled into that second in time as one thing and left it as quite another.

For his first great act as his new self, he overcompensated, and pitched forward into the clearing.

Oh, shit. Shit. They’d noticed him. And they were not pleased.

As he scrambled to his feet, rushing back to the cover of the forest, he heard shouting.

“Aqua! Get up!”

The telltale sounds of Pokemon being released rung out en masse. One look behind him confirmed that a small army of Golbat and Mightyena had materialized. Jake didn’t wait for them to receive the orders to hunt him down. He bolted.

  


Jake wasn’t sure how they hadn’t caught him yet. He was just sprinting in a blind panic, and somehow it was working well enough so far. However, he knew it couldn’t last. The pale light was fading rapidly, and he was leaving a clear path for his pursuers as he trampled through the undergrowth. Golbat could see in the dark, and Mightyena could track him by scent. If they didn’t run him down, he’d eventually just hit a tree and they’d be on him before he could get up.

He'd lost his backpack when it was stripped from him by a stray branch. Even if he escaped, he had no food or water. He wouldn’t survive. He pushed that thought away and kept going.

He tried to think of a plan while he ran. Climb a tree? Golbat could fly, and he had no experience with climbing. Jump in a river and swim? Sure, if he could find a river. Jump off a cliff, and pray for a soft landing? Tempting, at this point.

All of that ceased to matter, because suddenly his foot found air where the ground should have been. He tumbled forward, splaying out on the ground. Panicking, Jake tried to get up, but slipped on the damp dead leaves of the forest floor and fell again, facing back where he’d come. It was then that he saw what had tripped him up.

There was a sizeable hole in the ground. Maybe it was the darkness, but it appeared to go far down. _It seemed comfortable, somehow._ Wait, what?

The wingbeats drew closer, and the undergrowth began to rustle as the horde of Pokemon approached. He had no time left, certainly not time to consider that his time should have already been up. He dived into the hole. _He would be safe there._

It smelled of damp earth but was surprisingly dry. And it did indeed go deep. He was completely underground before he felt the tunnel open up in a wider area. There were leaves padding the burrow floor. It had to be a Pokemon nest, but its inhabitants did not seem to be present.

For a rather strict definition of “present,” that was true.

Feeling his way in the dark, Jake pressed himself against the far wall and went very still. Overhead, he could hear the pack of Mightyena stopping and circling, as well as the cries of Golbat. Human voices joined them a few moments later. 

“Dammit. Where’d he go?”

“Up? Golbat, check the trees. Mightyena, find the scent. The kid couldn’t have gotten far. We can’t let him escape, he’ll warn the rest of Aqua that we’re camped out here. Get him. Alive or dead, I don’t care.”

Jake did his best to not even breathe. Minutes passed, but the couple of Mightyena which happened to wander close to his hiding place suddenly turned away. The humans above wandered around in the darkness, tripping over foliage and swearing. 

“Hey, Aqua! Come out! We won’t hurt you! We have a message for you to deliver to Archibald!”

Jake _knew he was lying._ He didn’t move a muscle.

He waited for what felt like hours. Finally, it seemed like his pursuers had given up. There were no sounds from above. For good measure, Jake counted out another minute before moving.

He started to climb out of the burrow, but a wave of exhaustion hit him. He had overworked himself, in more ways than he quite realized. There was no way he could continue on tonight. He fell back onto the floor of the nest. That strange thought of his from earlier was right. It _was_ comfortable. 

Jake was far too tired to consider the odd occurrences that led him to his hiding place. He passed gratefully into unconsciousness.

  


Something was pricking at his mind.

Only just starting to wake, Jake recalled the events of the night before. He had really done it. He had escaped. He was free.

He should be relieved. Or excited. Or worried, since he was lost with no food or water. Instead, he felt…

_curious._

He jerked upright, hitting his head on a root protruding from the ceiling. “Ow.” 

_amusement._

Jake clutched his head. These weren’t his thoughts. Those strange fleeting moments last night hadn’t been him either. And, after that encounter with the red Pokemon yesterday, he thought he knew what was going on. Some psychic Pokemon was messing with him.

When he climbed his way out of the burrow and into the morning sunlight, worries about his mental harasser went to the back of his mind. He… he had made it. 

He laid down on the forest floor and stared up at the blue sky. It had been so, so long. And the sun! The sun! With each passing second, the rays felt like they were burning away more and more of the sorrow he had endured in that hellish place. 

Jake wanted to cry, but he found that he couldn’t. Maybe he had forgotten how.

_sad?_

This time, he was ready for the intrusion. The Pokemon wasn’t transmitting words. It was more a series of quick impressions. They had been simple before, but this one was relatively nuanced. It almost seemed like he was being teased. He pulled himself to his feet.

“Alri-”. His voice cracked and failed. Had he forgotten how to speak, too? 

_open mouth._

He was definitely being teased.

“Hello?”

_hello._

“Where are you?”

_up._

He looked up, and thought he saw something move. But whatever it was had vanished.

_down._

He looked down. There was a small, two-legged Pokemon looking back at him.

Jake retreated a few meters. He raised his hands. “Don’t hurt me. I… I’m just passing through. I’m sorry if that was your nest.”

_confusion. hurt?_

It didn’t seem too dangerous. He recognized it but couldn’t place its name. Blue and black, hard white ridges on the back of its wrists, short muzzle, floppy ears…

In a flash, he remembered. Riolu.

_yes._

The Pokemon had striking emerald green eyes. They glittered with intelligence, a far cry from the nearly mindless beasts Jake was used to seeing traipsing after Aqua members. Was this normal? He struggled to recall his life before the base. It all seemed so foggy. Buried under layers of steel and cold concrete walls.

_curious._

“Um. I’m a human?”

_amusement._

The Riolu let out a few sharp yips, its shoulders shaking. Jake realized it was laughing at him.

“Hey! Look, I don’t know what you know. I don’t know anything much.”

_yes._

Jake decided to just quit while he was behind, and looked up at the sun. He turned his back to it and started heading west. He had studied a map of the region before he left. With any luck, the chase last night hadn’t put him too far off course. He’d end up somewhere near Fortree.

He hadn’t gone fifty meters before he realized something was following him, leaping from tree to tree.

“Why?”

_curious._

The Riolu swung down from a vine. It cocked its head, looking up at him with those wide green eyes.

_curious. afraid. chased. tired. sad._

_lonely._

The last feeling came with such force, Jake wasn’t sure which one of them it was describing.

“I… used to live with bad people. But I got out. I still look like one of them, and another group of bad people thought I was, and chased me. Thanks for helping.”

_understanding. bad people. angry._

“Do you… do you see others around here? Anyone that isn’t like them? It’s been so long since I was out in the world. For all I know, everyone’s like that.”

_not known. see bad. hide._

Jake sighed. “That’s discouraging. Oh well. I’ll just... keep going and hope for the best. Thanks again for the help.” He walked around the Riolu and kept heading west. He only took a few steps this time before realizing it was still following. 

“Don’t you have something to do? I don’t know, find food? Water?”

No one had told Jake that Pokemon didn’t need either. It was such a simple fact; how could anyone who lived among them not know?

_confusion._

“Uh. Well. Why are you still following me?”

_dangerous. weak. strong. protect. scary others._

“…Why?”

The Riolu didn’t respond for a few seconds.

No one had told Jake of the natural curiosity and benevolence of most Pokemon, either. Actually, they had, a long time ago. But those memories had been overwritten with visions of snarling Mightyena as ruthless as their owners and Carvanha trained to bite at flesh without hesitation.

_not known._

Jake was at a loss. He thought Pokemon were dangerous, powerful creatures. But this one had helped him, and now was offering to protect him. It would be foolish of him to refuse. And despite the teasing, he enjoyed having someone to talk to. It had been a very, very long time. “…Alright. Fuck it. Yeah, sure. Come along then. I don’t know what I’m doing, but at least I’ll not know what I’m doing with someone else.”

_excited._

The Riolu bounced from one foot to the other happily. Jake felt as if he was still running, the world rushing by too fast for him to process. It had never once occurred to him that the world might be a _kinder_ place than he expected. Was he a trainer now? Did trainers even still exist? Did they ever exist at all? Did he really know that little about the world?

His consideration of these questions, the last three of which had the same answer, was interrupted by a more important matter that came to mind. He looked down the Riolu, which was watching him expectantly. “Do you have a name?”

He was not prepared for the answer.

A swirl of impressions, ideas, and feelings entered his mind. This Riolu was pouring its identity into him, answering as best it could. It was a her, he suddenly understood. He couldn’t possibly make sense of everything she was trying to communicate, but from the chaos came two simple syllables. With them they carried the sounds of waves crashing on a shore, in a memory that the Riolu wasn’t even sure was hers.

_maris._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twelve-year-old me was very skilled for her age. But there were a lot of things she didn't know, up to and including her own damn name and gender. Be nice to her when the traces of her writing show up, won't you? There's only so much I can change the basic concepts upon which this story is built. Also, wow, she was really working through some shit. Like, shit I didn't consciously understand until about five years later. Oof.
> 
> Oh. And in case you were concerned, or are old enough to recognize some of the tropes I'm playing with: no, this is not a human/Pokemon romance story. Those highkey squick me out, tbh.


	3. The Champion's Path

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme: [Courser](https://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/courser-2)

_place future curious._

They had been walking for some time, having fragmented conversations and commenting on their surroundings. Jake had been struggling to understand her and this new message took him about thirty seconds to decode.

“Oh. Um, Fortree, hopefully. That’s where I was aiming for before those guys chased me. I might be off course, though. If I find a path heading south or west, I’ll follow that. You wouldn’t happen to know of any, would you?

_no._

Now, if Jake had asked about interestingly shaped trees in the area, or the most beautiful clearings, or the streams that made the prettiest sounds, Maris could have answered. But when it came to the trappings of civilization, her knowledge ran as dry as the rainforest wasn’t.

“Well, uh. On we go.”

As they fought their way through the undergrowth, Jake began to feel increasingly nervous. He was thirsty and hungry. If he was off course, he’d end up in the endless wilds of the north, and either starve or be killed by a Pokemon. He appreciated Maris’s kindness, but he doubted she could take down an angry creep of Torkoal. Or a frenzied Skarmory. He seemed to recall those as potential dangers, as more bits of his memory came back to him. If he went south, he’d be in the open and dangerously close to Aqua’s base. Not to mention that he’d be treated with hostility by normal people too, if the reactions of the citizens of Lilycove were any indication. Though now that he considered that problem, he wasn’t sure how to solve it. How would getting to Fortree even help him? Hell, did Fortree even still exist? It had been seven years. Anything could have happened.

Suddenly, the jungle didn’t seem all that different from his room back at base. He shuddered, trying to push that thought away. Escaping, seeing the sun and the sky again, and meeting this little Riolu had provided him with a much-needed ray of hope. But it was fading fast. The world was too big, and he knew too little. Or it was too small, and he knew too much. It was closing in on him rapidly, getting colder and darker.

_calm._

Sensing his distress, Maris had focused her full attention on him.

_no danger._

Jake stopped walking and took deep breaths. He hadn’t noticed how close he had been to a complete breakdown.

_future good._

An awkwardly phrased sentiment, but a sincere one. Jake would later learn to translate his companion’s speech more effectively. For now, let it be said that the Pokemon was doing her best to say that everything was going to be fine. This, of course, wasn’t true, because it never is. Some things were going to be fine. Others weren’t. Nevertheless, there is truth in kindness, even if that truth is a lie.

He would have liked to believe her. She certainly believed herself. But maybe that was enough?

Jake was almost ready to keep going. But before he took another step, Maris tensed, and she sounded a mental alarm only a fraction of a second before he heard a voice coming from behind him.

“Aqua grunt, huh? Man, I’m tired of you guys.”

Jake whirled around to see two figures standing there. He stumbled back several paces. Maris zipped over to him in one blurred motion and hid behind his leg. She carefully poked her head out to get a good look at the two.

One of the figures, a woman in her late twenties sporting a green bandana, spoke again.

“Seriously, you’re everywhere. Let me guess, there are thirty more of you coming up behind. You fuckers love traveling in packs. Makes sense, you’re too weak by yourselves.”

The other was a Blaziken. It looked at him and cracked its knuckles.

Jake began to stutter helplessly. “No, no, listen, I, I, listen, I’m just, I just left, I-”

The woman didn’t care. “Well? What do you have to defend yourself? A Poochyena or something? I’m shaking in my boots. Come on, let’s get this over with so I can drag your ass to the nearest town. I’m sure the Leader will have some questions for you.”

Jake raised his hands. “I don’t… I don’t have, look, I’m not…”

The trainer eyed him scornfully. “No Pokemon? That’s a new low, even for you guys. Seriously, you couldn’t even convince some mindless Zubat to listen to you? Geez. Pyrus, deck this idiot.”

The Blaziken took a step forward. Jake wanted to run, but he didn’t think he’d be able to escape. He couldn’t fight, he couldn’t flee. There was no way out.

Somehow, that was comforting. Maybe he’d be able to explain himself to someone wherever he ended up. He relaxed, waiting for the blow to come.

_desperation. no hurt._

He remembered Maris. Shit, she needed to get out of here. That Blaziken would annihilate her if she tried something. He opened his mouth to speak, then noticed that the trainer’s expression had changed to surprise.

The woman lifted a hand. “Hold, Pyrus. Something’s up.”

_listening. he truth._

Her gaze slid downward to see the Riolu standing defiantly in front of Jake. Her eyes widened. “Well now. This is interesting. What do you have to say, little one? I know your kind aren’t easily misled.”

_truth. kind. scared._

“I see.” She nodded at Maris before meeting Jake’s eyes. “Riolu and Lucario are impossible to fool. They can sense deception and see the heart of a person at a glance. If this little one is defending you, you can’t be some belligerent idiot like the rest of Team Aqua. What’s your deal?”

It was at this point that Jake needed to sit down lest he collapse from stress, so he did. The trainer looked at him, at Maris, at her Blaziken, and then sat down too.

“Well?”

Jake blurted out, “Look, I just… I just left! I didn’t know what they were doing! Well maybe I did, but I couldn’t do anything! My brother, he’s…”

His held his head in his hands, now struggling to get words out. “He’s… one of them, all right? I was trapped there for… years. I had nowhere else to go, and now I have nowhere to go, and, and…”

The whirlwind of the past twenty-four hours all caught up with him at once, and he started to cry. He had remembered how. He wished he hadn’t.

The woman’s expression softened, and so did her voice. “Oof. Well, kiddo, seems like you’ve had it rough. Real quick though: are they after you right now? I don’t know how Team Aqua handles deserters, but it probably isn’t with a friendly wave goodbye.”

Struggling to regain control, Jake shook his head, then shrugged. “Probably… probably not? They were kind of…” He took a deep breath, trying to not think about everything he’d seen. “…busy when I left. I don’t know when they’ll notice. But my brother will be after me for sure.” Then something occurred to him. “But there are other guys around. People in red outfits? They chased me and I fell into a hole and I met Maris and-”

The trainer swore. “Magma? Yeah, I’m not surprised they went after you. They’re Aqua’s rival gang, though I’m not sure why, they do the same shit. We should get moving. I could probably handle a scouting party of them, but I’d rather not turn the jungle into a battlefield.”

She stood up and extended a hand to Jake. “Name’s May Birch, champion contender. You’re damn lucky I found you, you were wandering northwest into wild territory. Probably would’ve gotten mauled by an Absol or something.”

_indignation._

She smiled down at Maris. “Of course you’d have stopped it, little one.”

Jake took May’s hand and pulled himself to his feet, wiping his eyes. He suddenly realized that this was the first time he had touched another human in... he didn't know how long. “Th… thanks.”

May shrugged. “Just doing what seems right. I’m only out here because my father asked me to check up on reports of some unusual Pokemon sightings around this area. Otherwise I’d be on my way to Sootopolis for my last challenge. What’s your name, by the way?”

“Jake.”

“Jake…?”

It took him a moment to remember his last name. “Jake DeSantos.”

“And does this little one have a name?”

_maris._

The Riolu had limited it to just the two syllables this time. “I see. Well, let’s get going. Come on, we can make Fortree before nightfall if we hurry. They’re kind people. They won’t attack you if you’re with me.”

Jake nodded. “Lead the way.”

He addressed the Riolu. “I don’t know what’s going to happen next. You really might be better off staying here, Maris. Are you sure you want to come?”

_yes._

And that was that.

  


Gradually, the forest grew less dense. May led him and Maris to a small path only barely distinguishable amidst the undergrowth. After finding it, she signaled for Jake to stop. She stepped ahead a few paces. Then she fiddled with some device on her wrist, and shortly thereafter she was talking to someone. Jake couldn’t hear their conversation, and soon enough May wrapped it up and they went on their way.

Jake wasn’t sure if he was supposed to or allowed to ask questions, but the silence was getting to him. He'd expressed his hunger and thirst and she'd given him some of her rations, but that was it. “So… what’s a champion contender?”

May shot him a sideways glance. “You really are out of touch, huh. Basically, kid, someone who proves their ability to command and control even the strongest of Pokemon is considered a champion and is granted permission to leave this region and explore. Can’t have a ten-year-old with a Wurmple wandering into a wild Garchomp’s territory and getting themselves killed, you know? There’s a whole world out there that we barely know anything about, but it’s pretty dangerous. Oh, and we’re always looking to link up with the other regions. Far as I know, we haven’t made contact yet, but it’s only a matter of time.”

“Other… regions?”

“Huh. Thought you’d know, being in Aqua. We aren’t the only group of settlements out there, kid, but we don’t know where they are exactly. All that was lost a long time ago. You know how it is.” She waved her hand vaguely.

Jake nodded. He knew. Though he was confused on one point. “Wait, why was I supposed to know?”

May waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not really sure how much I should be telling you. Winona will fill you in if she wants to.”

“Winona?”

“Fortree’s Leader, the one I was talking to earlier. She’s going to decide what to do with you. Don’t worry, she’s kind and practical.” One corner of her mouth twitched upwards. “Damn cute, too. I’m not complaining about having an excuse to head back to Fortree. It’s been a couple months.”

At 'Leader,' Jake had stumbled. That wasn’t a happy word. May, however, hadn’t noticed, apparently lost in thought. Cautiously, he asked, “What does… Leader… mean here?”

“Fuck’s sake, kid. Do you know anything at all?”

Jake looked down at the ground and said nothing.

_anger._

May grimaced, realizing she had just stuck her foot in her mouth. “Um. Sorry. What do you want to know, Jake? It’s not like I have anything better to do while we’re walking than catch you up. Go ahead, ask anything.”

It took a moment, but Jake found his voice again. “What do you have to do, for the uh, champion thing?”

May shrugged. “There’ve been a few different versions of the trials over the years. When it started, back in my father’s day, it was some big tournament gig. That was discontinued, it got too big. People were going in for the glory, not out of duty or interest in exploration. That was replaced with some bizarre ritual where a champion hopeful had to track down four designated master trainers and defeat them at their best. Unsurprisingly, almost no one managed it. The current ruleset is a bit complex, but it seems to be working out. Most settlements in the region have an expert trainer who’s supposed to defend them. Eight total at the moment. Beat them all and you can go wherever you want. Oh, and the Leaders don’t fight you with their strongest. At least, not until the last one. They all have to maintain different teams to be able to answer any challenge from any trainer, usually depending on the number of Leaders the trainer’s already defeated. Well, actually, most of them get help from their community in that respect. It’s pretty common for a hopeful to assist a Leader for a while before setting out. I spent a couple months in Petalburg training Slakoth while also raising this big lug over here.”

She nudged Pyrus, who squawked in response.

“Yeah, yeah. You were pretty cute back then. Anyway, that’s the deal. I’m at seven out of eight. Just gotta head to Sootopolis and see if I can drag Juan away from his fangirls for a moment to serve him his ass on a platter.”

“You’re not nervous? Isn’t that going to be… hard?”

May looked briefly irritated before shaking her head. “Well yeah, duh. Obviously I’m nervous. It’s called bravado, kid.”

She snapped her fingers, having remembered something important. “You should probably actually catch Maris, if she plans to stick with you. Which she almost certainly will. Once you have a Pokemon’s loyalty, it will stay at your side for as long as you want, provided you don’t start acting like a jerk.”

_yes._

__

May rummaged around in her backpack, looking for a spare Pokeball. After a minute or so she found one and tossed it over. Jake inspected the red and white sphere. He had seen them used, but he didn’t actually know how one went about catching a Pokemon for the first time.

“How exactly do I…”

“Point it at her, hit the button. Hit it again to release. Though at some point you’ll probably figure out how to do it without pressing anything. You just kind of think about it. Don’t ask me how it works, I have no idea.”

Jake nodded. “Maris, you ready?”

_yes._

He pressed the button and Maris’s form dissolved into pale blue light. It streamed into the ball, which shuddered before falling still. Jake quickly pressed the button again and the process happened in reverse. Maris shook her head as she reformed.

_weird._

May laughed. “Always wondered how they felt about it. Guess that’s the best answer I’m getting for now. Anyway, congrats. You’re officially a trainer, if you want to be.”

Jake didn’t know how to respond to that.

  


Time wore on and the sun got low in the sky. Jake’s legs were tired, and each step took more effort than the last.

“Do you usually walk this much?”

May shrugged. “Yup. Been wandering around Hoenn for a long time now. If it were just me, I’d have reached Fortree an hour ago. Didn’t think you’d be able to keep up at that pace. Anyway, look, we’re almost there.”

Jake glanced down the path. “I don’t see anything.”

“Look higher, Jake. Fortree isn’t your typical city.”

He did, and gasped. He felt surprise and awe coming from Maris, too.

Countless wooden structures threaded their way through the jungle canopy. Jake could spot people moving up there, ambling over walkways suspended high in the air. And by the looks of it this was just the outskirts. It was like nothing Jake had ever seen.

May held up a hand. “Stop here. Winona will meet us shortly with a change of clothes for you. We don’t want to alarm people.”

Grateful for the chance to rest, he plopped down against a tree. Maris joined him, leaping up onto a knot in the wood.

_jake._

“What is it?”

_want fight._

“Oh. The champion thing? Really?"

_want fight lots._

Jake smiled. “Well, we’ll see."

It wasn’t until days later that he realized that smile had been his first in years.

  


Winona had turned out to be a cheerful, lavender-haired woman around May’s age. She’d brought not one but two spare sets of clothes for Jake. They were light and dull colored but seemed quite resilient. Built for travel in the heat of Hoenn. While Jake changed behind a tree, May and Winona talked. He tried not to listen too closely, as there were undertones in their speech that he found uncomfortable. Relationships were something he’d basically forgotten existed. They were confusing.

Stepping back out into the open, he held the spare set of clothes in one arm and his old Aqua gear in the other. He regarded the latter with distaste.

“What do I do with these…” he muttered, mostly to himself.

_burn._

“May? Can you ask Pyrus to do something for me?”

Soon enough, the blue and white striped fabric was aflame on the ground. Jake watched it turn to cinders with some satisfaction before stomping out the remains of the fire, his unkempt dark hair getting in his eyes without the bandana to hold it up. “Thanks.”

The trainer shrugged. “No problem. Burning it while it’s still being worn is much more fun, though.”

Winona shook her head. “Always the firebrand! May, please don’t make yourself too much of a target. The common rabble of Aqua is one thing, but I dread to think of you going up against a commander on your own. I’ve had to fight them a couple times. It wasn’t a pleasant experience.”

“Why, Winona, it almost sounds like you doubt my abilities. I beat you, what, three years ago now?”

“Only at the sixth level! I wish you’d left me for last. Then I could show you what I can really do.”

“Oh, there’ll be time for that.”

_here._

Maris had detected Jake’s increasing discomfort, and while she didn’t understand the exact cause, she guessed its source correctly. May and Winona started at the reminder. A hint of red appeared on the Leader’s face, and she cleared her throat. “Right. Jake, May’s told me about your situation. I’ll ask you more about it later, but for now, let’s get you to the Lilycove port. I’ve asked a supply ship to take you away from here. The flight there should only be about two hours. Winds are favorable, and we’ll have a fast ride.”

She unlatched a Pokeball from her belt and casually pointed it over her shoulder. Out of it came a massive silver figure that made Jake step back in alarm.

It was a Skarmory, far larger than he had expected the creatures to be. He saw why they were so destructive. It easily spanned twelve meters wingtip to wingtip, and its bladed wings were alarmingly sharp.

Winona was looking at him strangely. “What’s wrong? Nothing to fear from old Shear. She’s a gentle giant and one of my oldest partners. Great with kids.” The Skarmory looming over them cawed in agreement.

“I thought… I thought they were scary. Like, they could go crazy and carve you up. I think I remember…” He trailed off, noticing May and Winona’s amused expressions.

“Ticked off wild ones, sure. Wouldn’t want to get on the bad side of one of those, even though most are much, much smaller than this huge lump of metal. She’s a bit of an anomaly. But Pokemon change when they’re caught and trained, Jake. Faster than you’d think. You be kind to them, and even the most vicious ones can be tamed. My Sneasel was a right bastard when I found him in Shoal Cave, but these days as a Weavile he helps me find firewood most nights. I usually don’t even have to ask.” May, once again, was kind enough to take the time to fill Jake in.

Winona chuckled. “Found yourself an apprentice, May? I know some older trainers these days like to take younger ones under their wing, but you didn’t strike me as the type. How about it, Jake? Planning to make a run for a championship title?” She was teasing, but there was a sincere question behind it.

Jake considered the subtle enquiry. What was he going to do now? Get as far away from Aqua as possible, preferably. That meant making a beeline for Petalburg or thereabouts. Maybe even Dewford. But after that, what? If he actually did do this, he’d have a goal. And, if he eventually made it, he’d get to leave Aqua behind forever. It also seemed that Maris liked the idea.

_yes. yes. excitement._

Well then. Jake hadn’t ever crafted a plan beyond this point. He had considered it so vanishingly unlikely that he would succeed that it hadn’t been worth bothering about. This was a good an idea as any. He was beginning to like this small creature that had latched onto him, and this would make her happy. “Actually, yeah. I think so. Maris really wants to, and I have nothing better to do, so…” He trailed off, somewhat embarrassed. The Riolu bounced excitedly at his feet.

May smirked. “Got another one.”

Winona sized him up, one eyebrow raised. “Well. Technically, I should be sending you to HQ at Ever Grande. Both as a Team escapee and a minor- I’m assuming you’re a minor?”

“Seventeen.”

“Eight years short of proper adulthood, then. And three years before you’d be fully released from Ever Grande if you’d grown up there as a parentless child. However…” She looked thoughtful.

Leaders weren’t just stepping stones for aspiring champions. They were Hoenn’s first line of defense and entrusted with the leadership of their community. Jake wasn't aware of this- even May didn’t know the full extent of it, as close as she was to the Leader of Fortree- but Leaders were considered responsible for everyone in their care, and they were without exception dedicated to seeing their charges safe and happy. Jake was now a part of Winona’s flock. She would do what was best for him, regardless of the rules. She could see his history in his eyes. Her life was dominated by a sense of freedom; from gravity, from rival, from judgement. Winona could so easily tell that Jake had had enough of rules and walls. He needed the open air. He needed to live. And dammit if she wouldn’t see that he did.

Slowly, she nodded. “Take the champion’s path, if that’s what calls to you. There are kids as young as ten on the road. You’ll be fine. I’ll take some heat for it from the eggheads in HQ, but if I ask you some questions about your time with Aqua they’ll cool off. This is better for keeping you safe. You’ll be on the move, have a way to call for help if you think the Team’s on your trail, and all the while getting better at defending yourself. Yes, this is perfect. I’ll have them take you to Littleroot. Birch will get you signed and geared up.”

May was smiling fondly at Winona. Jake reran that last sentence in his head and frowned.

“Wait, Birch?”

“Yeah, that’s my dad,” said May, dragging her gaze away from the Leader. “Don’t let him nag your Riolu about where she came from. He’s obsessed with Pokemon habitats, especially those of rare ones like Maris.”

“Um, okay. So I guess this is goodbye?”

The trainer extended a hand. “Looks that way. Maybe I’ll see you out there in the wilds one day. Best of luck, Jake.”

Jake shook it. “Thanks. For everything.”

“No problem at all. And Winona, see you when you get back.” With that, May strolled towards the center of Fortree with her Blaziken at her side.

  


It was with some trepidation that Jake climbed onto the metal bird’s back. Maris, on the other hand, had no such reservations. She leaped onto the silver expanse and began poking at the Skarmory’s bladed wings. Winona was already there, having swung herself on from below.

“Get secure, now. Shear will do her best to keep the wind off us once we’re up there, but takeoff is rough. You’ll find handholds at your side.”

Sure enough, the Pokemon was fitted with a kind of saddle. It seemed to be made of its own shed metal feathers, reshaped by some clever craftsman. He grabbed hold and Maris clung to him.

Seconds later, they were in the air. With two flaps of its wings the bird cleared the canopy and soared upward, far into the sky. Jake only dared to open his eyes when he felt pure wonder emanating from Maris.

He shut them again immediately. Too high. Much too high. Going way too fast. No.

It felt like an hour, but only a couple of minutes passed before the force of the wind and the sound of rushing air died down. Slowly, he opened his eyes again, keeping his gaze locked forward.

There was a strange distortion in the air in front of the Skarmory. It split the wind in two directions, passing over its wings but not the center of its body where Winona, Jake, and Maris were perched. As fast as they were going, Jake felt only the slightest breeze.

“How…?”

Winona glanced back at him. “Pokemon abilities aren’t just for combat, Jake. Sure, Shear could generate a focused burst of wind from nothing to attack, but the same power lets her bend the air around us. I won’t pretend it didn’t take her years to perfect it, but these days she’s got it down to a science.” She addressed the massive bird. “Good work as always, girl.”

Shear rustled her wing blades in response. The Skarmory led a happy life as one of the chosen companions of one of the most powerful trainers in Hoenn. Initially, Winona had only captured her to end a swath of destruction she was causing. Her territory had been invaded and her roost destroyed by arrogant humans, and her vengeance was all the more potent due to her unusual size. Winona had been the nearest champion contender and was summoned to corral her. The future Leader had done so with ease. Since then, Shear had grown to care deeply for the only one that had stood against her.

She lacked any way to tell Winona this, but the Leader knew.

After a few more minutes, during which Jake continued to refuse to look down, Winona spoke up again. “Mind if I ask you those questions now? About Aqua. It’s pretty rare that anyone manages to leave the Teams alive. I’m surprised you made it, frankly. How did you manage it?”

“I was lucky.” Jake described the battle at the entrance of the base that had allowed him to escape, and the damage done after by the rain of meteors. He left out the red Pokemon begging him for help. He couldn’t bring himself to think about that.

Winona's surprise showed on her face. “I’d caught word that something had happened to the Aqua base, but I assumed it was to do with the Magma squad that May said you encountered, not a failed attempt to capture two powerful dragons. Ha! If those are the ones I think they are, it would take a lot more than a bunch of ragtag idiots to bring a pair of them down.”

“…Of course, eventually Aqua will realize you’re gone and start hunting you. I’ll be honest, you’re in a hell of a lot of danger. Staying on the move and sticking to the western half of Hoenn is definitely your best bet. They might not expect you to make it that far away so quickly. The smartest thing to do, of course, would be to ignore the rules and get you out of this region. We know of at least three others. But their exact locations and the routes between them are currently only known to the criminal sects. That’s more or less why and how they exist. Any direct movement against them is unwise. They bicker amongst themselves but are quick to team up in the face of large-scale opposition. We know where their bases are, but don’t dare make a move beyond defending where possible. It’s a real pain.”

“But… don’t they mostly have weak Pokemon? May seemed to think she could handle a bunch of them on her own.”

“They have numbers, and surely you know of some more powerful individuals within Aqua. Your commanding officer, perhaps? Anyway, they can’t overrun us, and we can’t stamp them out. It’s a century-old stalemate. They’re so tight-knit, we know only a little about their internal structure and high-ranking members. Anything you could tell us, especially regarding their connections to other regions, would be immensely helpful.”

“I didn’t even know people lived in other faraway places until May told me. As for high-ranking members… the Leader’s name is Archibald. There’s a brute named Matt, some creepy lady called Shelly, and a pair of twins. I think the twins work for Matt? It all seemed pretty vague.”

“Archibald, huh? We knew of him, and have reports of his appearance, but little else. Certainly not his name. That’s useful. The other two you mentioned we already know a decent bit about. They aren’t particularly subtle.”

“Yeah. No kidding.”

“These twins are new to us, however. Any details?”

“Tall, light skinned, long curly brown hair. They like knives. That’s their primary character trait.”

Winona grimaced. “Lovely. Regarding Archibald: what can you tell me?”

“…”

“Jake?”

“Sorry. The man is… rather unpleasant to think about.”

“I’d imagine. Take it slow if you need to, kid. But anything at all would help.”

Jake took a deep breath, getting his thoughts in order. “He’s… clever. An excellent liar and manipulator. Nothing like Matt or Shelly. Meeting him, you wouldn’t guess he was the leader of a criminal gang. Not if he didn’t want you to.”

“Ugh. I _hate_ it when these people are smart. When and how did you end up joining Aqua? May said something about a family member pulling you in?”

“Yes. My brother. Our grandmother died when I was ten, and he brought me with him to the base. I don’t know how he found out about it.”

“Ouch. Sorry, kid. Last question: do you know anything about what they do from their side of things? Since you didn’t have any Pokemon, I assume you didn’t join their missions.”

“They left the base, they came back. I don’t even really know what they do from your side of things.”

For an instant, Winona’s gaze flickered sideways at Maris, who was thoroughly preoccupied watching the landscape below. Then, back to Jake. “…Would you like to know?”

“Honestly? Not really.”

“I understand. Thank you, Jake. I know that couldn’t have been easy.”

Suddenly, Jake didn’t feel like responding meekly, as he had grown accustomed to doing for the past seven years. “No. It wasn’t. And here’s a tip: if you want people to think you’re the good guys, maybe don’t interrogate them while you’ve got them at your mercy hundreds of meters in the fucking air!”

Winona looked startled. Then she started to laugh. A sincere, kindhearted laugh, like nothing Jake had heard since before he and his brother joined Aqua.

“I can see how they didn’t fool you, kid!” she chortled.

Her laughter subsiding, she patted her Skarmory affectionately on the back of her neck. “I’m sorry if I had you worried. I honestly didn’t even consider it. We Hoennites, Jake… we don’t think like that. I don’t know what you went through in that place, but I have some idea of the sort of people you must have grown up around. It’s truly remarkable you didn’t end up like them.”

Jake’s anger was fading rapidly. Nevertheless, he let out one more jab. “But you didn’t trust me. I saw you look at Maris to see if I was lying.”

The Leader shrugged. “We’re kind, not naïve. But that erased any last doubts I had. If anyone gives you shit from here on out, Jake, they’ll have me to deal with. Though I don’t think it will be a problem.”

“…Sorry. And thanks.”

“No problem at all.” She patted her Skarmory again. “Besides, this one wouldn’t take too kindly to me if I treated you or anyone else poorly. Pokemon go a long way towards keeping us in line. Some of the more weak-willed ones can be manipulated, but for the most part, Pokemon reject the cruel of heart. There are unfortunate exceptions- like the Aqua commanders you knew- but the vast majority of the time, a powerful trainer is one who has a strong will to do good. That’s what Pokemon respond to.”

She laughed. “There, I just told you what takes most trainers years to figure out, if they ever do. Meh. I think you’d have gotten there on your own soon enough. That little Riolu back there is proof enough of that.”

Winona looked him in the eyes, smiling broadly. “I look forward to the day you challenge me, Jake.”

  


Shortly after Winona dropped them off and took to the sky again, Maris jabbed Jake in the shin.

_know lied._

“I didn’t!”

_missing truth lied._

“What- no, I- look, I can't- I'm sorry- I...”

Jake ran out of words and breath at the same time. All he wanted to do was curl into a ball until the world stop being too much. But before he could get overwhelmed, Maris brought him back down to earth.

_believe. trust. understand. calm._

Slowly, Jake relaxed. It wasn’t that Maris had the power to change his emotional state. At least, he didn’t think so. The knowledge that someone else cared and was there for him was enough. That was all he really ever needed.

“Thanks.”

They heard footsteps on the wooden planks of the dock. “Jake, right? Winona asked us to give ya a lift to Littleroot. Come along then. Don’t want to stay in the open too long, I know Aqua’s after ya. Don’t worry, we’ll be out of their usual range in a few hours’ time.”

The speaker was a rugged middle-aged sailor with a Wingull perched on his shoulder. If he had heard Jake’s latest near-breakdown, he gave no indication. Not waiting for a response, he turned and started walking towards a large vessel moored at the end of the pier.

Jake and Maris followed him. It was going to be a long voyage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maris is like Lying Cat from Saga, but thankfully resides in a story that probably isn't going to end up killing her. (As of writing Lying Cat is still alive, but give it time.) Also, did you know that a group of tortoises is called a creep? I didn’t, until I looked it up while writing this chapter.
> 
> Smirk Count: 1


	4. Stepping Along

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme: [Stepping Along](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLXTcIwrpRU)

Living in a region split equally between ocean and land meant that the residents of Hoenn were no strangers to sea travel. Dewford, Mossdeep, Pacifidlog, Sootopolis, even Ever Grande itself, were all surrounded by water on all sides. In the old stories, it was said that it represented the ancient clash between Groudon and Kyorge. The two titans were matched in strength, and so divided the region between them.  


Hearing the sailors tell this tale, Jake wished that Groudon had won that prehistoric battle. He spent much of the time huddled belowdecks, trying fruitlessly to get used to the rocking of the boat. And he’d thought air travel was terrible! That, at least, had been open and free. The enclosed space here made him panic briefly every time he woke up. It made him want to sleep until the end of the voyage.  


Maris had no such issues, and frequently tussled with the other Pokemon on board. They didn’t mind. It was rare for a Pokemon to turn down a chance to spar. The sailors had an array of mostly water types, with a few fighters as heavy lifters. Wingull, Surskit, Squirtle, Marill, Machop, Machoke. The captain had a Milotic from her trainer days, and it swam alongside the boat scaring away any overly inquisitive Pokemon.  


At one of his better moments, Jake went on deck to watch Maris only to be walloped in the face by something wet. He sputtered. “What the…”  


_jake. look!_

__

He wiped the saltwater out of his eyes. Around them, Remoraid were whizzing through the air. A whole school of them, leaping above and around the ship. The Milotic was batting many of them back into the ocean, but some made it onto the deck. Those that did simply fired a jet of water from their mouths, rocketing themselves back into the sea. Maris was amusing herself by trying to hit them before they landed. As Jake watched, she brought one down. It flopped to reposition itself and then doused her before launching itself away. The Riolu didn’t seem hurt, yips of laughter coming from her as she tried again.  


After doing it a few more times to the same result, she tried for a particularly large Remoraid. This proved to be a mistake. After being slammed to the ground, it began to glow. Soon enough, the Riolu was facing an Octillery twice her size. It looked at her with contempt and drenched her in ink.  


_skgjljhglhshhjskjglhjblfh  
_

__

Jake couldn’t quite translate that, but he knew she was fine, only surprised and disgusted. Noticing her distress, a nearby Machoke rushed over and punted the Octillery off the side. A Wingull and a Squirtle moved to rinse the ink off her. The couple of sailors who had seen the incident were howling with laughter. Even Jake smiled.  


The dozen or so men and women on board were kind enough. Residents of Lilycove, they were glad for the chance to get back at Aqua in some small way. None of them were even slightly wary of him, to Jake’s surprise. Maybe Winona had been telling the truth.  


Of course she had been, Jake reminded himself. Maris would have detected it otherwise. Speaking of the Riolu, she seemed to like the sailors too, despite currently glaring at the ones who were laughing. She huffed and abandoned her game to head below and poke around some more. Jake followed her. He was already started to feel queasy again.

  


They were dropped off at a small unmanned dock only an hour’s walk away from Littleroot. The trail to it wasn’t well kept, but it was easy enough to follow. Jake emerged before a small settlement with no more than a dozen or so buildings. A handful of people milled about, doing whatever they did to keep themselves busy.  


Littleroot was more than it seemed, of course. It had a reputation as an auspicious starting point. Some believed it had been the location of the first meeting between humans and Pokemon. Others just assumed it had been chosen based on its convenient location. A young child starting from the small town would have a long way to go before they found themselves anywhere truly dangerous.  


He had been told he would know which one Birch’s lab was. Sure enough, it was obvious. It was easily the largest and most advanced structure he had seen aside from the base. Both he and Maris jumped as the doors slid open on their own at his approach. Was this normal? He could just walk right in? Jake supposed so. Keeping a wary eye on his surroundings out of habit, he stepped into the lab. The first room was clearly a waiting area, but no one else was there.  


He felt uncomfortable the moment he had a roof over his head. He longed to dash back outside, under the sun and sky. Walls… walls were bad.  


Jake felt a nudge on his leg.  


_safe.  
_

__

“Right. Thanks.”  


“Jake DeSantos, yes? Come on in, I’ll be with you in a moment,” came a voice from another room. Jake followed it through yet another automatic door to find yet another sight that made him pause with wonder. That had been happening a lot since his escape.  


The expansive workspace seemed entirely composed of snarls of wires, blinking lights, and haphazard arrangements of computer chassis. It almost reminded him of the jungle. What could this all be for?  


Jake hadn’t realized he had said that out loud until he got an answer from behind him. “This is the prime server hub for our Nav system. Ever Grande has a backup, and that draws most of the attention from the Teams. No one bothers us out here.”  


The professor put down his watering can, having finished tending to some plants by the door which were the only bit of natural green in the room. He was a stocky, pale man in his sixties. Jake couldn’t really see the resemblance to May.  


“So! Winona told me to expect you. Seems we’ve got to get you registered. Don’t worry, it won’t take long. Though I have to ask- literally, it’s part of my job- what’s put you on the champion’s path?”  


“Well. Maris, more than anything.” He gestured to the Riolu. “This was her idea. I’m just going along with it.”  


The professor shrugged. “I’ve heard worse reasons. But are you prepared to accept the responsibility you’ll take on if you achieve your goal? You probably won’t make it- no offense, most don’t, and that’s intended and perfectly okay- but if you do, you’ll be expected to leave the region for several years. Well, unless you decide to take on a Leader’s role. There are still several open positions. But most would consider that a much more difficult path. Anyway, you aren’t expected to be out exploring forever. You’ll be welcome to return when you need to. But for the most part, you’ll be in the wild without direct human contact. It’s a hard life.”  


“Without human contact sounds great, to be honest.”  


Birch nodded. “Makes sense. I see why you didn’t take the ranger option.”  


“Why does that- wait, ranger option? What’s that?”  


“Did they not-” he sighed. “Of course they didn’t. That stupid rivalry. Anyway, there’s another option for trainers these days: the ranger program. Proper tutelage in Ever Grande, with the end goal of sending you out to protect a part of the region from disasters. Weather, wild Pokemon, anything. By the time you leave the protection of the city, you’ll be well enough prepared to even handle the Teams if they try something in your jurisdiction.” He blinked, realizing he was repeating a script. “But none of that matters to you, I’m guessing.”  


“No, I’m definitely choosing champion.” Jake didn’t like the idea of living in Ever Grande, which Birch had mentioned earlier was a frequent target of the Teams, or the idea of going up against them frequently. He’d rather just leave.  


Birch nodded. “Alright then.” He pointed to one of the few monitors that was switched on. “Enter your name over there. The system will do the rest. Do you know how to…?”  


Jake nodded. One thing he’d done to pass the time- the _endless time_\- at the base was fiddle with the old tech scattered about. He knew his way around a touch screen, even if this was in far better repair than the dilapidated scrap he was used to.  


“I’ll leave you to it, then.”  


Jake trudged over to the computer but stopped his hand a centimeter from the screen. He was nervous about putting his name out there. Aqua would be looking for him. Now that he thought of it, he should have come up with an alias to begin with. Then again, Maris likely wouldn’t have tolerated it.  


Birch must have seen his hesitation. “Don’t worry. This is completely secure. Believe me, if any of the Teams had access to our system, we’d know. It’s old tech, more complex than we really understand. Even we can’t break in, and we’ve tried. I’ve tried. It knows if you aren’t who you say you are, even if you enter a valid administrator code.” He then noticed that Jake’s expression had turned to shock. “Yes, I know where you came from. Winona filled me in. You can trust us, Jake. You can trust nearly everyone.”  


His voice was gentle. “I know it’s hard for you to believe that now, but I think, eventually, you’ll see it for yourself. In the meantime, you have someone helping you out.” Still facing Jake, he asked, “Am I lying, little one?”  


_no._  


The professor smiled, and then addressed Maris directly. Now, Jake could see how this was May’s father. They spoke to Pokemon the same way. “So, where you did come from? From what information I’ve managed to gather on them, Lucario usually exist in communal tribes. They’re one of the most human-like Pokemon.”  


_confusion. no others.  
_

__

Birch raised both eyebrows. “That’s quite odd. Whereabouts did you live before you met Jake, little one?”  


The Riolu pondered this question.  


_trees?  
_

__

“Okay, fair, I’m not sure what I expected. Jake, where exactly did you find her?”  


“Northwest of Lilycove. There weren’t any other Pokemon like her around. Or that many Pokemon at all. I think that had something to do with a Magma squad in the area.”  


Birch sighed. “Those bastards, eh? Well, any number of things could have happened. Damn. I would have quite liked to know of a Lucario tribe in our region. There’ve only been a couple found by our champions, both quite far from here. Oops, forget I said that. Privileged information or whatever.” He rolled his eyes, evidently not thinking much of secrecy mandates.  


Meanwhile, Jake had finished with the computer. “Anything else?”  


“Yes, yes. One very big thing. Hold on a moment.” He vanished into a back room, leaving Jake and Maris alone.  


_like him.  
_

__

“Oh?”  


_kind. says truth.  
_

__

“Those do seem to be your standards.”  


_hey.  
_

__

She smacked him on the leg with the ridge on the back of her paw.  


_truth **important.**  
_

__

“I know, I know. You’re right.”  


The professor re-emerged holding a small device. Jake recognized it as the one May had been wearing that she used to talk to Winona from afar. He noticed that Birch, too, was wearing one on his wrist. “These are Navs. They’re given to everyone when they come of age at twenty-five, and earlier to those on the champion or ranger paths. They’re maps, communicators, encyclopedias. Pretty much anything you need.”  


Jake looked apprehensively at the tiny thing. “How?”  


Birch attached it to Jake’s left wrist, then indicated his own. “Watch.” He tapped a finger to it and instantly a hologram formed. It looked like just another computer screen, but suspended in midair above the device.  


“How?” Jake repeated, in a very different tone.  


“Old tech, same as the system that powers it. Let me walk you through the functions…”  


Ten minutes later, Jake left the lab, still glancing in wonder at the small disc-shaped gadget. According to Birch, he was the only one that could access or remove it. It’d shock anyone else. It even let him call for ranger backup, something that Birch had accidentally done while explaining it. The local ranger just laughed over the video chat and hung up. (How was there video chat? There wasn’t a camera that Jake could see.) Apparently, Birch did this a lot. Despite himself he too had quickly grown fond of the man. He had successfully convinced Jake that he sincerely cared. Maris’s endorsement had gone a long way towards accomplishing that.  


He smiled down at her. Birch was right. He had her helping him out.  


_yes.  
_

__

_go? here boring.  
_

__

Jake set his gaze to the north, where a trail led out of Littleroot. The rest of the region waited. “Let’s go.”

  


Three hours later, he met the first trainer of his journey.  


The boy was small, and no older than eleven. He was thin, almost alarmingly so, but his features were soft. He wore light-colored clothes that mostly covered his skin, which Jake figured was a necessity for someone so pale. He’d burn in the summer sun. His eyes were ice blue, and his hair was dyed a dull green. When he spoke, it was higher pitched than Jake had expected.  


“Oh, oh hi. Hi. My, my name’s, Wally. Do you, do you want to, um, battle? I think that’s, that’s what we’re, um, supposed to do.”  


His stutter garbled his speech, but not to the point of incomprehensibility. That aside, he sounded mostly tired, but just a little bit excited.  


“Sure. This will be my first, actually.”  


The boy seemed surprised. “What? But, but you’re…” He trailed off. “Um, nevermind. Ralts?”  


Jake hadn’t noticed the Ralts peeking out from behind the boy’s leg. It stepped forward gracefully, facing Maris, who was practically vibrating with excitement. Jake hoped she wouldn’t go overboard and hurt it.  


In response, she glanced back at him.  


_no worry.  
_

__

Oh. Well then. “Shall we?” He and Wally both backed up to give the combatants some distance.  


Maris leaped directly at the Ralts, her palm glowing blue. All she hit was the ground, because suddenly the Ralts was behind her. Jake blinked in surprise. It had teleported. Another Pokemon ability he hadn’t considered as a possibility before.  


The Riolu didn’t need to look to know where the Ralts had gone. She read the other Pokemon’s aura. That didn’t stop it from knocking her down with a wave of psychic force. But that didn’t stop her from getting back up and trying again. The next time it vanished, Maris had already turned, and closed the distance before it could react. A quick blow from her toppled it. Wally flinched, but his Ralts just teleported away.  


The fight continued on like this for another minute. It was a battle of wits more than anything, and despite her preference for brute forcing her way through obstacles if she could- a strategy that had served her well in her duels with the sailors’ Pokemon- Maris was more than capable of playing that game. Her ability to instantly sense her opponent’s location certainly helped, and in the end, that was what gave her the edge she needed.  


The Ralts tried to bluff her, intending to strike the moment Maris turned to where she’d think it would teleport. The Riolu didn’t fall for it. She didn’t feel her opponent’s location shifting and hit the psychic type as hard as she could.  


It took a few steps backwards, blinking, then fell to its knees. As Jake watched, it dissolved into blue light and streamed back into the ball Wally was holding. He looked disappointed, but not upset. He nodded at Jake.  


“Good, good match. Thanks.”  


“Will your Pokemon be all right?” Jake asked.  


Wally gave him an odd look, and Jake realized that he’d asked a question that anyone else would have learned the answer to at a much younger age. “Of course. She, she’ll be out in, um, a couple, hours.”  


Jake smiled at Maris as she returned to his side. She looked very pleased with herself, and also rather tired. She’d burned through a lot of energy trying to catch the teleporting Ralts. She, too, might have to retreat to her ball for a while.  


_maybe.  
_

__

The other trainer spoke up again. “We’ll, uh, be on our way. Gotta get, get to Birch’s. Right?” He sounded nervous. Jake understood. He must be on his way to sign on to the champion path. Personally, he wondered if the kid would be alright.  


“Yeah, you’re a few hours out. Don’t worry, Birch is nice.” The kid nodded, and they went their separate ways.

  


A week passed. There were a couple more battles with kids significantly more animated than Wally, yielding one win and one loss. Maris had brought down a Whismur with ease but couldn’t quite keep pace with a Wingull. It had worn her down with one aerial attack after another. She had been upset about it for a total of three hours before returning to her usual self.  


Jake’s dreams had been strange as of late. In slumber, he was surrounded by walls. Back in the base, or somewhere worse. Somewhere darker. However, in these dreams, he was never scared. It was only upon awakening that the fear caught up with him. He hadn’t dared to stop in Oldale. He was too afraid that sleeping indoors would make it worse.  


Mornings were rough. They had been since he’d escaped. No matter how different his surroundings were, no matter how quickly Maris gave him a reassuring mental nudge, there was always a moment where it was like he’d never escaped. Sometimes, he felt like he really hadn’t.  


He was mulling over these thoughts when he noticed that the path was widening. There were buildings visible in the distance. That had to be Petalburg.  


The city was larger than Oldale or Littleroot, but still much smaller than Lilycove. There was also another significant difference between here and all three of those places: Petalburg had a Leader. His name was Norman, according to Jake’s Nav. This meant, of course, he had a choice to make. He consulted Maris on the matter, and she responded before he’d finished his sentence.  


_yes.  
_

__

“Oh. Really?”  


_yes.  
_

__

“Think you’ll be able to-”  


_yes.  
_

__

“Alright, alright.”  


Now they just had to find the Leader. 

  


There were more people around than Jake was comfortable with. Maris insisted she’d be able to tell who the Leader was, so he said nothing to anyone and avoided eye contact. They wandered around Petalburg for several minutes. No one paid them any mind.  


Suddenly Maris whirled, her eyes wide.  


_behind. knows. angry.  
_

__

“Excuse me. Typically, Pokemon with psychic abilities are expected to only use said abilities on others with direct permission.”  


Oh, shit. “I’m sorry, I didn’t-”  


“Didn’t know? Well, use your brain for a moment, hmm? Would you like it if you had your thoughts read without your knowledge? No. No you wouldn’t. So, control your Riolu, if you would. Pokemon often don’t quite understand human boundaries. You wouldn’t let a human friend unknowingly harm others through ignorance, yes?”  


Jake hadn’t listened to half of that. Norman was a short man with sharp eyes. He was scowling, but there was no real menace behind it. None of that was what Jake was concerned with. The Leader looked exactly like the first trainer- no, the first human- he’d met after escaping. His jawline, his nose, his build, all reminded Jake of May.  


He’d noticed Jake staring. “What?” he snapped.  


“But I thought Birch was May’s father,” blurted Jake before he could stop himself.  


Norman started, clearly knocked off guard. Then his frown returned. “He is. So am I. Is there a problem?”  


“No. No, of course not.” Jake was mentally kicking himself. He’d known better, once.  


The Leader cocked his head in interest. “Where did you see my girl? You can’t have battled her. She wouldn’t have fought a newbie trainer.”  


Jake’s face flushed with the mounting pile of embarrassments. “Near… near Lilycove. I was… lost, she gave me a hand.”  


“Humph. Shouldn’t have gone off the trails at your level. Whatever. Off with you, and remember what I said.” He turned and stalked away.  


Jake called after him. “Wait, we want to-”  


“No.” He didn’t bother to stop.  


“But-”  


“_No._”  


_wait.  
_

__

That got his attention. He turned slowly. Jake baulked at the prospect of another lecture, but the Leader turned his gaze on Maris instead.  


“You heard me perfectly well, didn’t you? I did not grant you permission, or ask you a question, thus implying consent. I do so now, obviously, so I can hear your apology.”  


_no. fight.  
_

__

“Oh?” Norman raised an eyebrow.  


_you rude. fight.  
_

__

Maris’s fury was palpable. Jake really wished he could just skip the next thirty seconds and arrive after the Leader’s anger had passed.  


Instead, Norman laughed. “Alright. Alright! I do have the right to refuse if a trainer isn’t ready- which you very clearly aren’t- but I’ll indulge your Riolu. She needs to simmer down a bit. Come with me.”  


Maris followed without hesitation, glaring at the man. Her trainer remained rooted in place from shock and stress for a few seconds before running to catch up. 

The Leader led them into what appeared to be the largest building in the town. The first room was small and lined with supplies for trainers. Jake made a mental note to take the opportunity to restock before he left. A pair of teenagers chatted as they browsed, and they nodded respectfully to Norman as he passed. He acknowledged them with a casual wave.  


The next room was massive. It was dominated by an arena of dirt and rocks. In the center, two Zangoose were battling it out, commanded by two young trainers. The Pokemon were using their claws like short swords, jabbing and parrying with both hands. It was fascinating to watch; indeed, there were several other spectators in the room. Jake quickly found himself transfixed. Even Maris forgot her irritation and watched the duel with interest.  


“If you don’t follow, I’m not going to battle you,” called Norman. He had left them behind. They hurried after him.  


The third room was similar to the second, but empty. The Leader walked to one side of the arena, and indicated that Jake should take the opposite position. Bringing up his Nav, he asked, “What’s your name?”  


Jake told him, and Norman jabbed away at the device. Eventually, he finished whatever he was doing and put it away. “You ready?”  


“Y-”  


“Not you. You’re not. I’m talking to your Riolu.”  


Jake was getting tired of being interrupted, but he held his tongue.  


_yes.  
_

__

“No, you aren’t. If you were able to admit that, you wouldn’t be in this situation.” With that, he released his Pokemon.  


A Vigoroth materialized facing Maris. It dwarfed her considerably. But size wasn’t everything. Surely, she’d be faster than her larger oppon-  


She was not faster. It lunged with blinding speed, and Maris only just managed to dodge at the last second. Her eyes were wide. All her bravado had drained out of her in an instant.  


When the ape landed where she had been a fraction of a second ago, it cracked the ground beneath its claws. It whipped its head around and growled. It wasn’t like Shear, Winona’s gentle air transport. Or even Pyrus, who quietly shadowed May wherever she went. This was a warrior. It radiated power in a way that truly scared Jake. It lunged again, catching Maris as she tried to get out of the way and sending her tumbling into the dirt.  


By all rights, Maris should have had the upper hand. Vigoroth was among that subsect of Pokemon with few natural gifts; normal types tended to rely on brute force alone. Riolu, on the other hand, had heightened awareness of their surroundings through aura sense and exhibited the aptitude for close combat of all fighters. In her first proper battle, she had played to those strengths and prevailed against an opponent that had a significant advantage over her. No doubt one day she’d be able to handle these kinds of foes with ease.  


One day was not now. That said, she wasn’t utterly helpless against the more experienced Pokemon. When it leaped at her again, she didn’t try to dodge. She knew she wouldn’t make it. Instead, she met the ape in the air, lashing out with a Force Palm.  


An audible _oof_ came from the Vigoroth. Maris made no noise, as her attack had come at the cost of taking further damage from her opponent’s claws. She was stunned on the ground and getting more tired by the second. Even so, she wasn’t done. Shaking her head to clear it, she hauled herself to her feet.  


Now the two Pokemon locked eyes, daring each other to make the next move. Maris was bluffing, of course. If it came at her again, she wasn’t even sure she had the strength to counterattack. The Vigoroth was looking at her apprehensively. Her desperate blow had hurt it. Now it was being cautious, in case the Riolu was stronger than it appeared.  


Responding to some subtle signal, the Vigoroth broke its standoff with Maris and dashed in another direction. Towards Jake.  


It happened so quickly. One instant the ape was charging at him, claws gleaming, then it turned on its heel and intercepted Maris. She’d thrown herself without hesitation at her opponent and left herself wide open. She took a hit directly in the chest.  


The Riolu thudded to the ground, shaking. Jake found himself angry enough to yell. “What the hell?! How is that allowed?”  


“My Pokemon didn’t touch you. Any experienced trainer or Pokemon would know that was a trick. A dirty trick, but there are no rules requiring me to be _nice_.” Norman was insufferably smug. That, more than anything, gave Maris the strength to stand up once more.  


She was in a bad way. When she lost against the Wingull some days back, she had surrendered before completely exhausting herself. She had known she was beaten then, and she knew she was beaten now. But she didn’t like it. She felt that she owed it to Jake- and to herself- to keep fighting for as long as she could.  


As long as she could was about two more seconds. She didn’t even have the strength to move when the Vigoroth leaped once more, and it swatted her aside effortlessly. She dissolved into blue light and returned to the ball on Jake’s belt. Shortly thereafter, Norman called back his Pokemon.  


Jake suddenly felt very small. Despite his efforts to believe in his friend, he had known Maris would lose this battle. He had even guessed that she would refuse to surrender and would have to be forcibly dispatched. But he hadn’t realized what it would mean to be without her. She had been lurking at the edge of his consciousness for most of his waking hours since his escape. Now there was only void, and he was alone inside his head. It was terrifying.  


Shakily, he met Norman’s eyes as the Leader strode towards him. The victor of the battle said nothing for a while. He inspected Jake. When he spoke, it was with clarity and intensity.  


“I was harsh. I won’t apologize for it. I get a lot- and I do mean a lot- of new trainers thinking they can beat the first Leader they come across. A rare few can. Most can’t. Most have yet to understand the power their new friends can wield. If I don’t make them realize… it only takes one accident, one slip, and someone could die. No one’s going to call a time-out if the Teams send their Pokemon after you instead of your Pokemon. In the wild, if you make it that far, there’s no telling what you might find. You have to know exactly what you and your Pokemon can and can’t do. Do you understand?”  


“I… I think so.”  


“Good. Then go watch some of my trainees for a few hours while your Riolu recovers. After that, you should head to Petalburg Forest, just northwest of here. It’s a little bit of wilderness in the heart of Hoenn. It has some things to teach you, I’m sure. Go wandering. Take your time. When you get out, you might just be ready to face Roxanne.” For the first time, Norman’s expression softened. “You aren’t a bad kid, or even a bad trainer. Don’t think I don’t know how selective Riolu are with those they call friends. You may well be a champion in a few years, if you work at it. But it will require just that: work.”  


“Understood.”  


Norman waved him off. “Go on, then. Come back when you’re ready.”

  


Jake first tried to summon Maris after two hours. Nothing happened. He tried again half an hour later, to no effect. By the fourth hour, he was beginning to panic. Was she alright? Was this normal? He had no way to know and was far too nervous to ask any of the other people spectating the trainee battles. It might lead to questions he couldn’t answer.  


Finally, after four and a half hours resting, Maris rematerialized. She surveyed her surroundings. Her trainer, of course. Several other humans, none of whom had any hostile intent. She was careful not to delve any deeper. And two young children yelling at a pair of Slakoth whom had decided they’d rather nap than battle.  


Jake had been prepared to handle anything, from depression to anger to a full-blown tantrum. He’d run over countless different scripts in his head. Instead…  


_where now.  
_

__

“What?”  


_?  
_

__

“Are you… alright?”  


_yes?  
_

__

__

“But…”  


_lost. know more now. understand.  
_

__

__

“…Are you really okay?”  


_yes.  
_

__

__

Jake wasn’t sure that he was, now. He felt a little light-headed. This wasn’t at all what he had expected. Maris had been brutally beaten, but she was just fine and ready to move on. She didn’t even seem to be mad at Norman anymore.  


_no. right. weak now.  
_

__

__

“We both are, it seems.”  


_time._

__

__

  


They wandered out of Petalburg instead of staying the night. What was the point? Norman had directed them to the forest, so that where they headed. It took about a day to reach the place where the path vanished into the trees. Along the way, they met a couple of trainers coming back from their own expeditions. Maris handled both an Aron and a Nincada with relative ease.  


As they walked onward, the path grew narrower and narrower. The trees clustered in close, until suddenly Jake realized he could no longer see the horizon. It was different than the woods around the cities or along the paths. It seemed older, and untouched by humans. It had an energy all its own. He recalled what Norman had said. A little bit of wilderness in the heart of Hoenn.  


The forest lay before them, dark and daunting. Without hesitation, Jake and Maris plunged into it.

  


We should rescue her.  


Does it look like she needs rescuing?  


She isn’t safe with that human. She doesn’t know who he is.  


She knows better than we do. Have you already forgotten what her kind is capable of?  


Do you really believe they can’t be tricked?  


Yes, as a matter of fact.  


…  


She seems to be enjoying herself. Far more than she ever did while we were watching over her. We wanted her to find her own way. And so she has.  


I will not leave her in the hands of the one who would not lift a finger to help you.  


How many times do I have to tell you? He was as scared as I was. If not more. He has shown her nothing but kindness, and I will not steal away her happiness.  


Fine. But we’re keeping an eye on them until we know for sure. Something is wrong here, I feel it.  


Very well. Whatever it takes to shut you up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remoraid are based off flying fish now, as well as remoras (and guns). Because I thought they were all three before I looked it up, and don’t care enough to change it. I do what I want. Seriously, though. Look at an image of Remoraid. How the fuck is that not a flying fish?
> 
> I struggled for a long time with how to write down Wally’s stutter. I r-r-r-refused to do _that_, and that’s not really how stutters sound anyway. It took me literal months to remember that _I_ have a stutter when I’m not actively working to suppress it. So, Wally’s stutter is basically mine. Dialed up a bit, but the strange pauses and repeated words are pretty directly representative of my own. Hopefully the stutter isn’t as frustrating to read as it is to have.
> 
> And yes, I straight up named this chapter after its theme. If you’ve seen the source material of that song, you’ll understand why it fits so well.


	5. Three of a Kind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme: [Home](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_E_y1AWAfc)

Norman had been right. Petalburg Forest was perfect.

__

It was so different from the jungle up north. Friendlier, somehow. And while maybe he was just getting better at noticing them, there seemed to be more Pokemon too. Mostly bugs and plant types. They tended to shy away from him and Maris, which did make both a little sad. Perhaps they just didn’t want to fight an overeager Riolu? 

They took the Leader’s advice and shirked the main paths, making their own needlessly winding route. Even so, they encountered a handful of trainers, many of whom were younger than Jake by several years, and all of whom challenged him without hesitation. 

Maris learned two very important lessons from the first battle. One, that she _loathed_ String Shot, and two, that it was always best to go all out against defensive Pokemon immediately. She complained about the Silcoon for days. She had been uncharacteristically cautious, it being her second time against an evolved opponent. By the time she felt confident enough to exert herself, the Silcoon had hardened its body to the point of near invulnerability. Forty-five minutes into the battle, Maris had tried everything. A diving Force Palm from the treetops, bringing down a dead tree trunk on top of it, even weathering the hated webbing in an attempt to dig out the ground underneath it. In the end, she had given it one last futile kick and returned to her ball on her own to sulk. 

The Silcoon remained utterly immobile. It hadn’t seemed to be registering much of anything at that point. 

“…Was that a win for you or us?” 

The kid had just shrugged. 

  


It wasn’t all quiet meandering and lengthy battles. Once, Maris detected a Slaking slumbering not far away. Against Jake’s better judgement, he had allowed himself to be convinced to go take a look at the giant. They had barely gotten a glimpse of its massive form and spent the next half hour running from hooting Vigoroths. Even Maris didn’t try to fight them. No doubt they were weaker than Norman’s, but with at least a score of them riled up… no, it was out of the question. 

The Vigoroth troop weren’t the only ones following them as they ran. However, the eyes of their aerial pursuers were fixed firmly on the Riolu. If either had thought to focus- _really_ focus- on Jake, they would have seen something strange indeed. 

Jake was moving faster than he should have been able to. When he passed under the shadow of a tree, he would seem to skip forward until he reached the light again. He was keeping pace with Maris, a feat neither realized should have been impossible. 

He was completely unaware of this, of course. Jake was running again. It felt to him like that was all he ever did, but this time it seemed easier. He was in control. He could escape. He was afraid, and that kept him going, and yet it didn’t overwhelm him. Just for a moment, as the last traces of the troop vanished behind them and they began to slow, he felt strange. The forest seemed darker than before, and he felt… inconsistent. Almost like instead of passing out from exhaustion, he was about to pass… in some other direction. 

And then the feeling faded. He slumped down, panting, Maris at his side. They grinned at each other. 

  


Jake didn’t know himself very well. That seemed absurd; he’d been himself for seventeen years. But… had he? So much of his life hadn’t involved, well, _living_. So Jake DeSantos was only mildly surprised to discover, of all things, Jake DeSantos in Petalburg Forest. 

He learned that he didn’t mind getting dirty or damp, waiting out the frequent afternoon rainstorms without complaint. His found his curiosity to be tempered by his cowardice, and he had no real trouble admitting that. He was, with a couple of exceptions, quite honest with himself. And with others, as much as he could. Maris wouldn’t tolerate any less, and neither would he. 

Jake couldn’t help but feel both very young and very old. Trainers his age assumed he was on par with them, having beaten a handful of Leaders, and had to work to restrain their surprise when he admitted he was still quite new to this. On the other hand, trainers several years his junior would expect to be thoroughly trounced. This didn’t stop them from asking for a battle, of course, and they were delighted when it turned out they were on equal footing with, as one child put it while fumbling with his words, a “big-year-old.” This was objectively adorable. 

Most of all, Jake found that there was something about the open air that called to him. It wasn’t all due to his former living conditions, either. Or at least he didn’t think so. Wandering like this, never knowing what would be around the next thicket; it was a delight. Sometimes, he caught himself thinking seriously about what lay at the end of the path he had chosen. He had considered it logically, not emotionally. And now that he was… it sounded wonderful. No people save his chosen company. The unknown ahead of him. True freedom, at last. 

Maris was enjoying this too. She had spent much of her life in the same small area, with no reason to venture elsewhere. She bounded through these treetops just the same as she had in her patch of jungle. It was different, sure. Different kinds of trees, different kinds of Pokemon. But different was good. And no two days were ever the same. 

After a week, he and Maris found themselves coming to the end of the forest. They caught sight of Rustboro, a gleaming city across a lake. They looked at each other, and without speaking, turned right around and headed back into the forest. They weren’t done here yet. 

  


It was eleven more days before Jake and Maris finally left the woods. The Riolu perched on his shoulder- a habit she’d picked up, even though she really didn’t quite fit- leaped down and raced to the edge of the lake. 

_fish. _

Jake caught up. Sure enough, Magikarp, Barboach, Finneon, and more besides were swimming to and fro. 

_catch? _

“Nah. I’ve thought about it, and I think I’m not going to go looking for Pokemon to catch at all. I dunno, that doesn’t seem right to me. How do I know if they’re willing?” 

Maris shot him a look that said more than her words did. 

_stupid. you and them. not thinking. not willing not unwilling. _

He had gotten better and better at understanding her. Her body language was a big part of it. He might not have realized she was making fun of him too if he hadn’t recognized that teasing glimmer in her eyes. “Oh, shoosh. Come on, we have a city to reach. I’d like to be there by nightfall.” 

  


They didn’t quite make it before the sun set. It had been gone a couple hours when they passed the threshold of the city. Jake now sought out the local Center. He’d learned about them from his Nav; the designated accommodations for travelers of any kind, mainly trainers. If it was anything like the ones he’d seen, it would be a large building marked by a red roof. 

The city rivaled Lilycove in size, and finding anything in the dark was hopeless. He resorted to nervously asking a passerby where the Center was. Thankfully, he didn’t have to get through more than two words before they pointed him in the right direction. 

Jake felt uneasy here. He’d grown more somewhat comfortable talking to other trainers in the wild, but here, with its harsh lights and hard paved ground? It wasn’t right. He already missed the forest. Still, he had to at least make an attempt at beating Roxanne while he was here, and that meant spending the night. 

He hadn’t been sure what to expect from the Center. He hadn’t entered the others. What he saw took his breath away. 

The front half was for trainers. Couches, tables, racks of supplies. To the side were staircases leading up to the second floor. Jake guessed they led to small rooms for them to sleep. There were maybe a dozen people of all ages relaxing. A gaggle of young kids, excitedly talking about their latest foray to Petalburg Forest. A pair of older trainers around May’s age, having some serious discussion. And three others only a couple years younger than Jake, occupying three of four chairs positioned around a table and having an animated conversation with lots of hand-waving. 

All of that Jake noticed second. The first thing that drew his attention was the back half of the Center. It was divided into miniature biomes for Pokemon. One section dominated by trees- real trees, planted in dirt- and another resembled an indoor rockslide. There were perches on the ceiling for flyers and a pool for aquatic Pokemon. Even patches of snow and sand for those from more exotic environments. 

Jake could just imagine the place filled with Pokemon of all kinds. As it was, only a few puttered around the indoor habitats. Others wandered freely around the Center. One kid had his Skitty curled up in his lap, and one of the adults had a Togetic perched on her shoulder. 

He liked this place. 

Maris tugged on his pant leg, unnecessarily. 

_want go. _

“Why would I stop you? Have fun.” 

She dashed, not towards the trees, as Jake had expected, but towards the snow. She must never have seen it before (and now that he thought about it, neither had he). As she passed, the two older trainers noticed her and looked surprised and interested. 

Jake bristled, then forced himself to relax. Riolu must be a rare sight. He had no reason to believe they meant any harm, and as he watched, they went back to their chat. 

Strange movements caught his eye. The three teenagers were still having their conversation, though now Jake realized they weren’t just articulating with their hands. They were signing. The short, very dark-skinned figure on the right with braided hair and the tall girl in a headscarf in the center seemed completely fluent. The latter wasn’t even talking out loud. The third, a girl with an unusually light complexion and blonde hair, was awkwardly trying to keep up. She looked pretty sunburnt. Jake did not envy her. The worst of the summer heat was still ahead, after all. 

He realized he was staring. They were the closest trainers to his age in the Center. Should he… try to talk to them? 

_yes. _

Jake tried to catch Maris’s eye, but she had already turned back to messing around in the snow. 

Well. He hadn’t planned to try to make friends. He certainly didn’t know how to go about doing so. But it appeared these three had passed the usual Riolu inspection. Jake supposed that was good enough for him. 

“Hey.” 

For just a moment all three wore an expression of utter shock. Then it was gone, so quickly that Jake wasn’t sure that he hadn’t imagined it. Maris wasn’t here to confirm one way or the other, he realized. Maybe he should have asked her to stick around. Or maybe they were just weirded out by him coming up to talk out of nowhere. To be fair, he really didn’t know why he was doing this either. 

“Hey.” The one on the left regarded him coolly. 

“Sup,” added the one on the right, who made some quick sign with her hand. 

The one directly facing Jake just waved. 

“Sorry to bother, I’m just, I don’t know, I was hoping to talk to other trainers I guess?” 

“Yeah! Yeah, that’s fine. Hey, I’m Minerva. Minerva Vasilios.” 

The one in the headscarf started gesturing. He opened his mouth to say he didn’t know sign and the remaining trainer caught his eye. Jake shut up. Only when she was done did the last one translate. 

“Her name is Nadia Madan. She’s deaf and mute, and she says your socks are untied.” 

“Oh.” He looked. “Wait, no they- hey.” 

Minerva giggled, and Nadia was grinning widely. Jake didn’t need to know sign to guess what her next gesture meant. _Gotcha._

The last also signed, presumably for Nadia’s benefit. “And I’m Jess Adisa. Use _they_ for me, please.” 

“Oh. Got it. Will do.” 

Jess actually wasn’t the first nonbinary person Jake had met. In the forest, about a week ago, another kid had casually corrected him. Jake had extrapolated from there, as he had grown used to doing. He had even spent some time considering his own options, before deciding that he would figure out who he was now, before trying to guess at who he wanted to be. 

Maris, of course, had no such hangups. What was gender to a Pokemon? Many didn’t bother with it at all. Those that did had usually taken the concept from humans to begin with and chose whatever they liked. 

Jake realized all three trainers were looking at him expectantly. Against his better judgement, he gave them his full name. “Jake DeSantos. Do you… do you mind if I sit?” 

“Sure, go nuts,” said Jess. 

He sat. Nadia began scanning the Pokemon area for new arrivals and raised an eyebrow when she saw Maris, who was now wrestling with a Makuhita in the sandy area. The other two followed her gaze, then looked at Jake with interest. 

“Where the hell did you find a Riolu?” Jess sounded impressed. 

“I just sort of ran into her, I guess.” 

Minerva whistled. “I know someone who’d be pretty damn jealous of that kind of luck. And she just started following you like that?” 

“Pretty much. I think she thought I needed protecting, and kind of latched on.” 

Nadia said something, and Jess translated again. “Yeah, they do that. Nadia’s Wurmple wouldn’t leave her side and kept trying to warn her about any loud sounds. By hitting her with String Shot, of course.” 

“She’s evolved twice, but still does it sometimes.” Minerva lowered her voice to a loud whisper. “If a Beautifly wanders over, try clapping. It’s pretty funny.” 

Nadia, who had of course read Minerva’s lips just fine, gave her a hard look. _No._

“You don’t let me have any fun.” 

“Yeah, I’m with Dia on this one. Please don’t get us covered in webbing right now. We’ll have enough of that in Petalburg Forest.” 

“Oh, yeah, we just got out of there. Maris- that’s her name- really hates that stuff too.” 

The conversation rolled onwards. The Riolu, now perched in one of the trees, watched her friend happily. It was the first time he’d started to relax indoors. 

  


In the twenty or so minutes they had been talking, Jake had picked up undertones in how they spoke to each other that reminded him a bit of May and Winona. Less… _intense_, yet similar. But wait, was it Jess and Nadia? Minerva and Nadia? Minerva and Jess? He couldn’t tell. It really wasn’t his business, though. 

Despite his indifference, the confusion must have shown on his face. Jess nodded at him. “Oh, yeah. We’re dating, if it isn’t obvious.” 

It took Jake a second to understand. “Wait, all three of you?” 

Minerva beamed. “Yup!” 

“…I didn’t know that was an option.” 

Nadia rolled her eyes and signed something. Jess elbowed her. 

“Don’t be rude, Dia.” They signed the words as they spoke. Nadia responded, pointing at Jake partway through the series of motions. 

“Yes, it’s still rude even if he can’t understand you. Almost more so. And that pun is untranslatable.” Jess turned back to Jake while keeping themselves positioned so that Nadia could read their lips. “Sorry about her.” 

Forgoing signs, Nadia stuck her tongue out at Jess. Jess ignored her pointedly, but there was a hint of a smile on their face. Jake continued with his line of questions. It turned out that the trio had each defeated two Leaders, which was two more than him. They’d offered to put him in contact with a trainer they knew who had beaten a full seven, but Jake preferred to talk to the people in front of him, and they didn’t mind. “Why do the Leaders only use one type?” 

Minerva shrugged. “Most folks find that one type resonates with them best, y’know? They connect with them better. Somehow it’s just easier to focus on one, they seem to get stronger faster like that. Jess here befriends every steel type they see, and bugs swarm to Nadia.” She indicated a Lairon crouching placidly in a corner and a Surskit in the pool as well as the aforementioned Beautifly. 

“It’s because she-” Jess only got that far before Nadia gave them a playful shove. “Oh, so you’re the only one allowed to make awful puns?” 

The two started bickering in sign. Minerva looked at them fondly, then turned back when she heard Jake’s next question. “So what’s your type?” 

She raised an eyebrow. “Not you.” 

“What- no, I- I didn’t-” 

“Hahahaha, just messing with you. I know what you meant, dumbass. Nah, I don’t have a type. Or, well, I think I might, but like…” 

“Oh my god. Do _not_ get into this again.” Nadia and Jess had stopped their silent conversation and were now turning on their girlfriend. 

Nadia signed something and rolled her eyes. Minerva flushed. “Look, it just makes sense, okay? There _must_ be some common thread between my Pokemon.” For Jake’s benefit, she pointed to a Marill and a Kirlia who were now pestering the Lairon. “I know they say there are only seventeen types, but I swear-” 

Jake followed the argument as best he could without being able to understand one of its participants. Minerva knew a lot about type theory and insisted that there must be one that hadn’t been identified yet. The other two thought this was ridiculous. The debate quickly devolved into needling each other playfully, often with a shove or a poke for added emphasis. 

Watching them, Jake felt a deep ache in his chest. He’d seen so much in the past weeks, but until now, it hadn’t quite hit him how much he had missed. How much had been stolen from him. _Seven years._ This place had seemed so welcoming, and now it was closing in around him. Jake wanted to go back to the forest. He needed to run, he needed to see the sky again. But he was rooted in place. 

Nadia was the first to notice Jake’s distress, and she nudged her partners. They turned their attention to him. He flinched. 

"You've been through a lot, haven't you,” said Minerva quietly. It wasn’t a question. Her expression was far away, but her gaze was fixed on Jake. 

Was it that obvious? He thought he’d been getting better. “Y…yeah,” he stuttered. 

After a moment of silence, Jess spoke up. Their voice was serious for once. “But you made it, didn’t you? You’ll keep on making it, as long as you try. You have plenty of time.” 

He didn’t know why, but with the gaze of all three trainers on him, he felt himself relaxing. Gradually, his breathing returned to normal. “Thanks.” 

Minerva blinked and shook her head, as if she was waking up. Then she smiled. “Of course. You seem cool, Jake, I’m not worried. You’ll be fine. Jess is always right.” 

“Oh? Would you like to say that again? I think my Nav has a recording function somewhere…” 

"I will come over there and tickle you. Don’t test me, Adisa.” 

  


It was over an hour later that Jake called Maris over and they went upstairs to sleep. Jake was tired enough that he didn’t much care about sleeping indoors. Well, he did. But he thought he could manage it. This place was so much better than the base in every conceivable way. He’d be alright. Probably. As he fell asleep on the most comfortable bed he’d ever encountered, he realized he’d forgotten to get their Nav numbers. Oh well, he’d find them in the morning. 

After he was gone, the trio looked at each other. Minerva was the first to speak. 

“You guys noticed too?” 

“Duh. Kind of hard to miss.” 

“We should get Nova’s attention as soon as possible.” 

“Agreed.” 

There was a pause. 

“Yeah, of course. Not here. Let’s head north, there are some open fields that would make good spots. Not too many Pokemon. Let’s go. I don’t want to be out there on our own too long.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All Pokemon are trans now. There’s nothing you can do to stop me and I will only grow more powerful.  
  
Moving on.
> 
> Fighting and Bug is quite possibly the stupidest type matchup in existence. Both of them do half damage against the other. Why? Who the fuck knows. Also, even worse, why is it “Grass” types and not “Plant” types? What shitty clown decided to name all flora-based Pokemon after the most boring plant? These kinds of things annoy me way more than they should.
> 
> One last thing: hope you enjoyed this peaceful, happy chapter. Next time, I do my sincere best to tear your damn heart out.


	6. Legacy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme: [Underworld](https://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/underworld-2)

With an almighty crash, the Nosepass toppled over. Maris, panting with exhaustion, waited for it to right itself. When it didn’t, she turned away and ran and leapt into Jake’s arms. 

_won! _

“You did!”

_we. _

“Pretty sure that was you.”

_we. _

“Alright, alright. _We_ won. 

“Congratulations, Jake DeSantos.” Roxanne had marched over. As before, her speech was stiff and robotic, like she was reading from a script. “You and your Pokemon have defeated me at the first level. Your record will be changed to reflect your achievement. But with this victory comes responsibility. In times of crisis, you will be called upon to aid others. In these times, follow the orders of the contenders, trainers who have defeated five Leaders or more. Good luck in your future challenges.”

She left the arena without another word. Jake and Maris exchanged glances of amusement.

  


They left the Gym and wandered north, both fascinated by the vibrant city. It was nothing like Fortree or Lilycove or the small towns they had passed on the way here. It was… fancy. Elegant street lamps flanked the paths. Each house had a proper garden with a fence clearly marking it out. It was all so organized. 

Aqua had liked order too. But their order was for suppression, for obedience. This was engineered expressly for beauty. It was truly mesmerizing _oh fuck shit shit FUCK_

Jake ducked behind a garbage can. He got a few strange looks from passerby, but his concern for what other people thought of him was at an all-time low. 

_danger? _

Jake lowered his voice. “Don’t look. Those two, over by the tall building to our left. Twins. They’re Aqua.” 

Maris made a face, having taken a brief glance at their auras. 

_kill?_

“What? No!” 

_joke._

“Oh. Well, they don’t seem to be looking this way. Let’s go. We should head east to Verdanturf. I was hoping to say goodbye to those three I met in the Center, but we can’t risk it.” They had been gone when Jake woke up. He’d assumed they’d be back at some point, from what they said they were staying in the city and planned to challenge Roxanne in a couple days.

_sad._

__

“I’m sure we’ll see them again on the road someday. Let’s hurry.”

_yes._

Even if he had looked for Minerva, Nadia, and Jess, he wouldn’t have found them. They hadn’t gone anywhere. But he wouldn’t have found them.

  


Once he was out of the city, he called Winona and informed her of the situation. 

“Do you think they were looking for you?” 

“Don’t think so. They were scoping out some large building in the northwest corner of town. It looked important.”

“Got it. I’ll alert Roxanne. Good work defeating her, by the way. One Leader down in under two months is excellent progress.”

“Is she always…”

“Little Miss Robot? Yeah, she’s just like that. She does her job and does it well, but I’m not sure she really enjoys being a Leader, it’s just a task that someone has to do. And she’s taken it upon herself, as there were no other volunteers to defend somewhere as critical as Rustboro.”

“Critical?”

“Aside from Ever Grande, it’s our most advanced city technologically. It’s also where Pokeballs are produced. She fends off attempts at theft from Magma pretty frequently. Anyway, I should go ahead and call her. Let me know if you see them again.”

The line went dead.

  


An hour later, a storm blew in. Such afternoon squalls weren’t uncommon in Hoenn. Jake and Maris had weathered several throughout the weeks. This one was no different. They simply retreated to the forest’s edge, taking shelter under the sturdiest tree they could locate. It would pass in a few minutes, and they could go on their way. 

The storm may have been no different, but the cascade of events it would cause set it apart from its predecessors. The first domino fell as such: just as the wind was beginning to die down, there was the sound of splintering wood followed by a crash. It came from deeper in the woods, far enough away that it posed no danger to them. 

Jake didn’t think much of it. “We were here, and it made a sound,” he muttered. “Take that, philoso- Maris? What’s up? Wait! Where are you going?!” 

She had perked up and taken off like a shot. Jake ran after her, barely managing to stay on her tail. Half a minute later, he emerged into a large clearing. At the far end was the fallen tree, and just in front was a small Pokemon trembling on the ground. A Taillow. 

As Maris raced towards it, there was another loud crack and a branch from a neighboring tree, damaged by the initial fall, began to descend. It was going to land right on the injured bird. 

Jake shouted a warning, but the Riolu had already seen it. She was trying to intercept, but even at her speed, she wasn’t going to make it. 

It happened so fast that if Jake had blinked, he’d have missed it. In one smooth motion Maris lifted a paw, formed a small green orb, and hurled it into the air. It smacked the branch and sent it spiraling away. The Taillow was safe. 

Jake joined Maris at the Taillow’s side. “What was that?” 

_not important. focus. hurt. _

“Right.” He inspected the Taillow closely. It was twitching feebly, clearly in pain. The left side of its face was severely damaged. One wing was bent at an unnatural angle. But there was something else.

Jake blinked, thinking that the wind and rain were distorting his vision. But no. The Taillow’s outline was blurring. Its whole body seemed to be degrading. “Is this… normal?”

This was a very stupid question.

_no. bad. very bad. catch?_

“Oh! Of course. Good idea.” In a ball, it would hopefully have a chance to recover like any other Pokemon. He retrieved one from his pack and repeated the same process from when he had caught Maris. 

…Nothing. He looked at the ball, confused. “Maybe it’s broken?” He tossed it aside and tried another one, to the same result. “The fuck. Maris, I’m sorry, I…”

_not you. it. too weak._

“Oh. Too weak to be caught? What… what do we do?” The Taillow was getting worse. It had stopped twitching, and some of its feathers had begun to disintegrate.

_not known._

_sad._

  


A silent argument had been going on far above for the last minute. It was reaching a breaking point. 

Xethos, I don’t care. That Pokemon will die, and I can save it. This is what Briar did for me. 

Sister. This is how we ended up captured last time. Don’t you see that? This could all be a trap. You know he was Aqua. 

Don’t you “sister” me. At no point in all the time we’ve been watching him has he shown the slightest hint of malice. And do you sense anyone else around? No. Stay here, if you like. I’m going. 

Fine. But I’m staying invisible until we know for sure.

  


Jake bowed his head. There was very little they could do. He hadn’t ever thought about Pokemon dying, but he was watching it happen. The tips of the Taillow’s wings were already gone. 

Maris snapped her head upwards. 

_coming. _

“What?”

Suddenly, the rain stopped. An invisible dome had formed, shielding them from the elements. And as Jake looked around in wonder, he saw the Pokemon reveal itself.

First the head, then the long neck. It turned visible in a wave, feathers turning and rippling as it came into view. Red and white, with pale orange irises. 

Jake fell to his knees, tears beginning to well in his eyes. One night, he’d tried to find information on his Nav about the Pokemon he’d seen unleash hell on the Aqua base. It took a while, but he had done it. Latias, the one who had spoken to him. And her counterpart Latios. Rare and powerful dragons capable of invisibility.

This wasn’t just another Latias. This was _the same_ Latias. Jake knew that instinctively. How, he didn’t know. Maris, for her part, was slowly retreating, wide-eyed. She was keeping her thoughts to herself.

The dragon ignored them both, leaning down and gently touching a claw to the dying Taillow. Her eyes began to glow, and the small bird jolted. As they watched, it started to rapidly regenerate. Its outline became firm. Missing feathers reformed from nothing. Its bent wing straightened out, and the damage to its face all but vanished.

When the Latias finished, the Taillow was unconscious, but very much alive. Without warning, Jake heard her voice in his head again.

Now you can catch him.

He did so wordlessly, still overcome. He got back to his feet. “I… I’m sorry… Are you alright? I couldn’t…”

I understand, human. You were in no position to aid us.

Maris was fidgeting. She was still restraining her emotions, but Jake could tell something was bothering her. Above them, the rain was dying down quickly.

“I… wait, _us._ Of course. Is the other one alright? The Latios?”

Yes. Xethos, show yourself. He quite obviously means no harm.

In the same gradual swirl of feathers, the Latios appeared just above the Latias. His eyes were already lit, evidently the one who had been maintaining the dome.

Jake took a closer look at the Pokemon and recoiled. There was a hideous scar tracing down his body, starting below the right eye and ending just before the left shoulder. It had been a horrific blow. Jake didn’t think he’d ever seen a Pokemon with old wounds. Before the Taillow, he'd even believed Pokemon never truly became injured, only grew tired as they took damage.

When we battle each other, that is true. But this? This is the handiwork of humans.

The Latios- no, Xethos- sounded angry and bitter. His voice was the same in pitch, but he spoke slower and with a ragged edge that his counterpart did not carry. In an instant, Jake connected the dots. “The twins?”

Two of the same. Yes. Monsters. I slipped away from one, and the other struck me down. Larka barely managed to save me after getting us out of there.

Maris was getting even more restless. The rain had stopped. The Latios released the protective dome, his eyes returning to normal. 

Jake had another question. “I saw what you did. That was… all her?”

Yes. She lacks the offense power for a drawn-out battle, but she can deal far more devastating blows than I in times of desperation.

I came close to destroying myself in the process. I only just had enough energy left to fly afterwards. 

Maris had reached her limit. She stepped in front of Jake, staring directly at the two dragons. They shifted to float in front of her at the same height and matched her gaze. Their expressions were difficult to read, but they appeared resigned.

The Riolu stomped her foot. 

_why known._

“You know them?!”

The Riolu shook her head.

_confusion. known. not known._

The Latias closed her eyes for a long moment before opening them again.

There is so much to say, child. We never intended to reveal ourselves. We wanted you to find your own path, wherever it led. But I would not permit that Pokemon to die because of my inaction. And now, we cannot leave you with unanswered questions.

_who._

Jake didn’t hear the response, but it was clear there was still a conversation going on. As he looked between the three Pokemon quizzically, Maris shook her head.

_say to me, say to him._

I understand. Both of you, then. The truth is, we’ve been watching over you since you hatched, Maris, and even before then. We were the ones who told you your name, though you were too young to remember it. We gave you the name your parents had in mind for you.

_why not them. why alone._

You were alone because your tribe is gone. We knew them, and your parents. It’s not a happy story. I’m sorry, Maris.

_tell._

I’m not sure-

_tell._

Very well. Xethos, give me a hand, won’t you? Don’t be alarmed, you two. This is simply the best way.

The dragons’ eyes lit up brighter, and the world shifted around them.

They were seeing through Larka’s eyes, overlooking a sizeable island from high in the air. It was forested and dominated by a plateau that covered the western side. 

This is a ways to the south of the mainland. This island was our roost for the better part of a century. Other Pokemon lived here too, of course, but we were by far the most sophisticated and powerful. Ten years ago, that all changed. A small group of Lucario came to live here. The tribe was captured by evil humans somewhere far away. When the vessel containing them passed by this island, they escaped, destroying the ship and killing their captors. Several of their number were lost, but freedom meant more to them than life. They would not let their powers be misused.

A dozen or so Lucario stumbled onto shore, collapsing in the sand.

The survivors made their home here, where my brother and I already lived. We were wary of them at first and stayed hidden. But they simply wished to exist in peace.

Time sped forward, and they watched as a primitive settlement formed. The cliffs of the plateau that ran alongside the beach were riddled with caves, which the Lucario reinforced where needed. The structures were crude, just enough to weather storms blowing in from the sea. The inhabitants sparred and tended to the life on the island. They seemed content.

One day, Larka was hurt. Badly.

They watched from Xethos’s perspective as a bolt of lightning stabbed downwards, frying the Latias. She fell like a stone through the storm, the Latios only barely managing to catch her before she hit the ground. 

She was unconscious, and more worryingly, blurring at the edges. It looked like at any moment she might simply be blown away in the wind.

She looked just like the Taillow had, until Larka had saved him. She was on the brink of death.

I knew the Lucario had a healer among them. I contacted her mentally, and she agreed to help without hesitation. We met her not far from their village.

Now there was a Lucario leaning over Larka’s still form. She had gotten even more unstable, her outline barely holding together. But as they watched, the Lucario extended a paw and pressed it to her side. Immediately, the degradation ceased.

Her name was Briar. She saved my life. One of those rare Pokemon who cultivated the ability to heal and protect others, she wasn’t much of a fighter.

The Lucario turned, and Jake’s breath caught in his throat. 

He knew those eyes. He saw them every day. A vivid, emerald green.

Yes. Maris, this is one of your parents. We’ll see the other in a moment.

Whatever Maris was thinking, she was keeping to herself.

The image swirled, and now the sky was a perfect bright blue. Not a cloud in sight. The Lucario were gathered together by the beach, confronting a human intruder. He was of average height, with pale skin and blond hair. Jake could discern nothing else. The dragons were watching from far away, with their backs to the caves.

This man showed up one day, about a year ago now. No boat, no others. He told them to leave, that this was his place now. They refused.

One Lucario stepped forward, challenging the human.

Reyna. Now there stands a warrior. She led the revolt that freed them from that ship, and nearly died in the process. Briar only just managed to bring her back.

She’s your other parent, Maris. Your mothers cared for each other deeply, and the strength of their bond is what allowed them to create you. You were due to hatch any day now.

I’m truly sorry you didn’t get the chance to meet them, child.

As they watched, the man retrieved a single Pokeball and waved it threateningly. The Lucario didn’t budge. They had numbers on their side.

He shrugged and released the ball’s occupant.

“What… what _is_ that?”

The Pokemon, if it was a Pokemon, was easily two meters tall, looming over the Lucario. It was sickly gray, with a bulbous purple tail. It radiated power and menace.

Reyna didn’t hesitate for a second and summoned a silver Aura Sphere. Instead of throwing it, she held it in her palm and charged directly at the creature.

In a kinder world, Reyna’s bravery and strength would have been rewarded with a hard-won victory against great odds. In a fair world, she would have at least been entitled to a fight for her life. In a story, she would have taken her enemy down with her, and be honored by her tribe forever.

Reality barged in, faster than she could react.

The Pokemon extended a three-fingered hand and threw her violently into the sand with psychic force. Then it dragged her upwards and slammed her down again. And again. On the fourth impact with the ground, she simply dissolved. Her Aura Sphere was the last thing to fade.

Jake was horrified. He wanted to make it stop. Make them stop. But it was already done.

The rest of the Lucario cried out in rage and shock and charged the beast as one.

It tossed them around like rag dolls. Two more were destroyed by its onslaught, the rest struggling to stay intact. Its mere presence seemed to be eroding them. In seconds, they were all on the ground. The lone Pokemon rose into the air, gathering power into a pale orb between its hands. It was going to wipe them all out with one blast.

One of the Lucario twitched and opened its eyes. From afar, Jake and Maris saw that familiar glint of green.

Briar was in the creature’s blind spot. Slowly, she climbed to her feet, resisting the pull of the beast’s energy that threatened to tear her apart.

Her reality wasn’t kind or fair. But it was hers, and she knew how to use it. She leapt right as the Pokemon unleashed its attack. For one long second, she hung there, directly behind her mate’s killer, raising a paw to the sky.

Then both she and it were covered by a green sphere. The apparition shook violently as the attack went off inside, but it held.

When it faded, the creature fell to the ground, smoking. It did not get up. There was no trace of Briar.

The remaining Lucario rose sluggishly, directing their attention to the lone human. He appeared more annoyed than worried and recalled his strange Pokemon calmly before facing the remnants of the tribe.

As they closed the distance, vengeance in their hearts, the human only laughed. He spread his arms wide, inviting them to attack.

What happened next, Jake could scarcely believe.

The pale man's feet left the ground, waves of force cratering the sand beneath him. He glowed light green, brighter and brighter as the wind rose. Four horns framed his grinning face, forming an X. His hands became claws. Yellow lines streaked across his body, which elongated until it ended in a serpent’s tail.

It was Rayquaza. Or, not quite? The human was still there, inside a shimmering green mirage. But when he attacked, it was with the full fury of the lord of the sky.

Jake was terrified. For an instant, the vision stuttered, as if the being’s power was too much to contain even in memory.

The first shockwave instantly disintegrated three of the remaining Lucario. When it reached where Larka hovered, invisible, she and Xethos were knocked backwards into the cliffside. When she stabilized, she saw that the Rayquaza-beast was casually finishing off the rest of the Pokemon. None of them tried to run, but their efforts to fight back were feeble. The human, if it was a human, was toying with them.

Their view of the carnage was interrupted as Larka turned away.

We didn’t know what that monster was. But we knew it was over. The Pokemon had been one thing. But _that?_ Even at range, its mere existence threatened to destroy us. We had to flee, and we took your egg with us.

The vision became dizzying as Larka sped into the caves, grabbed the egg out of its nest, and then rocketed away from the island, moving faster and faster with every second.

Larka looked back, just once. The horizon was illuminated a sickening green. Smoke rose from the island. She couldn’t bear to watch any more, and turned her gaze towards the mainland, cradling Maris’s egg in her arms.

The vision ended, and Jake and Maris were back in the forest, the sounds of the evening around them. They both stumbled from the shock of the transition and all they had seen.

Maris regained her footing first.

_why not help._

It was all so fast, child. I’m truly sorry we were too scared to act. Our kind are powerful, yet timid by nature. But if we had joined the battle, we would have met the same fate. I assure you that. We would not have been able to save you.

Maris sagged, and leaned against Jake, shaking. He bent down awkwardly and gently ruffled her head fur. “Hey. It’s alright. You once told me that it was going to fine. I’d say the same to you.”

Slowly, she perked up, casting her eyes around until they settled on Xethos’s scar. She made her way over to the Latios, inspecting the injury closely.

_heal?_

I… don’t know if you can, child. It is a rare skill and takes time to master. Larka learned some basics from your mother, just enough to pull me back from the brink. But I don’t know if even Briar could have healed the damage completely.

_try._

Very well.

Maris pressed her paws to the scar arcing down the Latios’s body and concentrated.

Seconds passed.

Nothing.

Child…

_try._

It’s alright.

Tears were beginning to well in Maris’s eyes.

_trying._

“Maris, it’s okay. You heard them, it’s not something you can just do without practice. If you want me to ask Winona if she knows anyone who has a Pokemon that could teach you, I will.”

_defeated._

Maris took her paws back and covered her face.

_wanted… connect._

Maris. You _are_ their connection. Don’t you see? You couldn’t be closer to them if you tried.

That was it. That was enough. Tears started to soak the fur under Maris’s eyes. She began making stuttering whining noises as she shuddered. The floodgates on her emotions burst open, and her anger and sorrow washed over Jake.

Jake had never seen a Pokemon cry before. He didn’t even know that they could. But he knew what to do if a friend was in distress. It was the most basic of instincts, and his time locked away with Aqua hadn’t stripped him of that. He sat down and smiled at Maris.

“Come here.”

The Riolu leapt into his arms, and he held her there. He would be there for her as long as she needed, as she had been there for him. As she was _still_ there for him.

  


We should let them recover, confirm the Taillow is healing properly, and then be on our way. I’ve been thinking… we should try to leave this region. We know the direction that old ship was coming from. There must be land there, eventually. 

… 

Something’s going on in this place. Can’t you feel it? Those monsters that wiped out our friends must be still around. It’s dangerous to stay. 

No. 

Larka- 

I am going to stay with her, Xethos. And with him. 

What? 

I’m sorry. We have travelled together for a long time, but this is where it ends. I owe it to Briar and Reyna to ensure their daughter prospers. I also believe Jake could use my aid in his effort to escape those who tried to imprison us. Helping him is helping her. 

But look at him! He’s weak. Binding yourself to him will make _you_ weak. 

He’s weak _now._ I do not think he will stay that way for long. I can sense the potential in him. And didn’t our mother tell us to seek out a human worthy of our allegiance? We are very powerful Pokemon, Xethos. We must choose who we ally ourselves with carefully. I believe he passes muster. 

He abandoned you! 

I was wrong to ask that of him. He was more scared than I was. He didn’t have a powerful attack as a last resort if things went badly. From there, he showed our charge kindness, and earned her respect. Who better to judge a person than her kind? 

But there’s something… off about him. I don’t know what it is, and I don’t like it. 

I will admit, my curiosity is piqued there. I can’t identify it either, but it seems that more simple-minded Pokemon react to it. Didn’t you notice as we were tracking him? They avoid him instinctively. I would know why. 

…Is there nothing I can do to dissuade you? 

No. I’m sorry. 

Then farewell it is. 

Where will you go? I would not blame you for leaving the region. You are correct, something’s happening here. For good or ill, I sense this region is headed towards conflict. 

I will not abandon you completely. I will seek out another roost, likely in the eastern isles. If you need me, I will come. I love you, Larka. 

The same to you, brother. 

  


Maris had stopped crying. She nudged Jake, and he let her go without a word. The Riolu directed her attention to the two floating dragons. 

_thanks._

For what?

_saving me. and showing me._

Of course, child. It was the least we could do.

_what now?_

I will go, and find a new roost. Far away from those who tried to capture us. As for Larka…

I will stay.

_stay?_

“Stay?”

Larka now addressed Jake.

Jake, yes? You have proven yourself to be kind and thoughtful, despite your origins. We have both a common enemy and a common friend. If you wish, I will permit you to capture me, and wield my power as you see fit. 

“I… _That_ power?” His mind went back to the devastation rained down upon Team Aqua’s base. “I’m not sure if…”

I will not be that strong once I am bound to you. I will diminish significantly. However, as you grow in stature, so will I, until my former strength is regained. Or even greatly exceeded. That is the way of things.

Jake only half understood, but he nodded anyway. “I… I suppose… but you know that staying around me only increases the chance of Aqua finding you again?”

Of course. But I have a vested interest in protecting Maris, and therefore protecting you. Admittedly, I would also not pass up the chance for petty revenge should it cross our path. I am not above that.

“Huh. You know, thinking on it, I don’t think I am either.”

_amusement._

“Maris? You alright with this?”

_yes. yes. excited._

Well then. “Um, thanks, I guess? I don’t really know what to say.” He retrieved a Pokeball. “Are you ready?”

Allow me. It will be easier on you that way.

Jake didn’t know what she meant by that, but he held out the ball. Larka nudged it with her muzzle and dissolved into the familiar blue-white light.

He let her out immediately. She dipped her head.

Well done.

For some reason, Jake felt exhausted.

  


They made camp in the clearing. It was still early in the evening, but neither Jake nor Maris had the energy to make it any further that night. Xethos said a quick farewell and then vanished. Maris tracked him with her aura sense as he raced into the sky, heading east, until he was out of range.

They talked more about what they had seen, Larka answering any questions they had. But Jake still felt tired and called it a night before long. The Latias agreed, curling up in the shelter of the fallen tree. Maris, however, wasn’t ready to turn in just yet.

After Jake was asleep, the Riolu padded over to where the Latias slumbered and shook her awake.

Yes, child?

_show me them._

Anything in particular?

_happiness._

I think I can manage that.

  


Quite a way down the road, a conversation was taking place. Any eavesdroppers would only have heard half of it. 

“Are you certain that this is a good idea?” 

Yes. I would meet him. And her. 

“Her? Does she have anything to do with this?” 

Not directly. But she will be a cause for him to fight for. Their bond, and her strength, must be cultivated. 

“Do you know why she chose him?” 

Chose him? It was a chance encounter. She probably would have latched onto the first human she met who wasn’t completely evil. 

“I meant-” 

I know. You’re surprisingly easy to tease. As for her, I have no idea. Her machinations escape me, as ever. 

“Do you think she’ll speak to him directly?” 

I very much doubt it. At least, not at first. A verbal conversation would require him to be in a state which does not lend itself to casual speech. Whatever happens, it will likely be unpleasant for him. All the more reason for you to establish a rapport now. 

“I’m not sure how good I will be at that.” 

You’ve never had much trouble talking before. 

“Oh, shut up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I buried some gays. But in a story with absolutely zero confirmed straight characters and multiple obviously queer ones, it’s kind of hard to avoid.
> 
> Fun fact: Xethos and Larka are by a significant margin the characters who have changed the least throughout the long planning of this story. Fun fact x2 combo: it took me about three years to figure out where I got the name “Xethos” from. Turns out that back in the day I somehow wound up with a Level 100 Latios with the OT “XETHOS” in my copy of Diamond. As for Larka, I simply took the name from the main character of the book “The Sight” by David Clement-Davies. Highly recommend.


	7. Protect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme: [Candles and Clockwork](https://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/candles-and-clockwork-2)

The first order of business the next morning was naming the Taillow.

When Jake released him, he looked quite well, save a shuttered left eye. Larka said that it would probably never heal. He would be half blind as long as he lived, much as Xethos bore his scar.

I’m sorry.

Larka’s apology went uncomprehended. The Taillow had very simple thoughts. He knew he had been saved, and that the two Pokemon and the human before him had played parts in doing so. He also knew he was now bound to this human, which he did not mind, and was only confused by Jake’s offer to release him. He did not have a name, as he had not needed one in the wild.

_he stays._

Jake tried out random sounds or names of characters from stories he’d read. Ares, Celerus, Kelrune, Argulor. He was hoping for some kind of confirmation from the Taillow when he got it right- wasn’t that how it was supposed to work?

_no. amusement._

Jake continued muttering to himself as he ate breakfast, trying to come up with something that fit. The Taillow fluttered about, chirping placidly. The bird didn’t seem to have a care in the world, aside from keeping everything that moved on his right side. Jake wasn’t sure how to go about naming a whole other being. Didn’t that seem like something he should do for himself?

He won’t. At least not for a long time. Probably not until he evolves, if he does. Are you going to call him ‘Taillow’ until then?

“Please don’t monitor my thoughts.” He didn’t mind Maris doing it. She hadn’t used to be able to read him quite so clearly, but as his understanding of her had evolved, so had her ability to tell what he was thinking in increasing detail. He wanted to get to know Larka better before he let her into his head on a continuous basis.

You said that out loud.

“Dammit.”

As he and Maris were finishing packing up camp, he stumbled across one that felt decent. Better than the others, anyway.

“Pallas?”

The Taillow chirped. No differently from before, but it was something.

“Fuck it. Pallas it is.”

Pallas vaguely understood that he had a name now. He was alright with that.

  


Hours later, the sun beat down on the trail. It was a wide, dusty path, clearly frequented by travelers of all kinds. Despite that, Jake hadn’t encountered anyone. Larka and Pallas had chosen to retreat to their balls, so it was almost as if the previous night had never happened.

They didn’t talk about it. What more was there to say? Maris was thinking about the memories that Larka had shown her, of her parents happy and safe. Jake was concerning himself more with the idea that there was some maniacal bastard somewhere that had apparently managed to capture Rayquaza. Or… something. Seriously, what the fuck had happened on that island? Should he call Winona, or would she just think he was crazy?

Maris jolted, startled out of her thoughts by the sound of footfalls. She hadn’t detected anyone nearby.

_coming._

There was indeed someone approaching on the path. Quickly, Jake removed the balls containing Pallas and Larka from his belt and put them in his backpack. The former might not be well enough to battle, and the latter would be unwise to pull out in casual encounters. He was already enough of a target as it was.

The traveler revealed himself to be a man in his mid-twenties wearing an old green duster. Once, it might have been almost black, but years of exposure had lightened and frayed it. As for the man himself, he was light skinned and dark haired. Unlike Minerva, however, he wasn’t burned pink by the summer sun. He walked casually and evenly, like someone who had spent much of their life on their feet.

Jake stared. He had to be overheating in this climate. But the stranger seemed unburdened and raised a hand in greeting. He wore a gentle smile that fit perfectly on his face.

He introduced himself as Percy and asked to battle. This was par for the course. Maris stepped up, giving the stranger a very close inspection. Jake didn’t notice her unusual attentiveness, preoccupied with his worry that somehow the other trainer would know he had two other Pokemon hidden away.

Both of them were shocked out of their concerns when a Lucario materialized before them.

Maris beheld her future with awe, while Jake only traded one worry for another. There was no way Maris could handle this fight. Yet, he knew she wouldn’t permit him to get her out of there. She would want to see this through, even if it hurt her.

He was completely right. Maris knew she was outmatched, but she was raring to go. She relished the chance to test herself against her evolved counterpart. The stranger smiled and addressed her and her trainer. “I thought you’d appreciate this chance. It will be good to know what she’ll be able to do one day, won’t it?” He nodded at his Lucario. Blue eyes flashing, it advanced.

Light blows were traded as the two fighters tested each other, Maris trying to use her small size against her opponent. It didn’t really work. The Lucario was able to predict and intercept her moves every time. It moved gracefully and precisely, using the minimal amount of energy for each attack. The Riolu only got scrappier as she realized her foe was holding back.

The Lucario jumped high into the air and formed a large blue Aura Sphere. As it reached the peak of its leap, the orb split into three pieces, which formed into pointed cones before rocketing off in different arcs toward Maris. She had maybe one second to react, but she quickly realized there was no way to escape. They were locked onto her aura. She faced them directly, crossed her arms protectively, and closed her eyes.

Nothing happened. She didn’t even hear a sound.

Slowly, the Riolu opened her eyes. She hadn’t been wiped out by the projectiles. The reason for this was probably something to do with the translucent green shell encasing her form.

She recognized this. For a moment, Maris felt like she was going to burst with joy.

_mother._

From inside, she couldn’t hear anything happening, though it sure seemed like Jake was trying to get her attention. Nor could she sense anything, she suddenly realized. She was completely cut off from the outside world.

She made an effort to relax and the sphere dissolved. The moment it was gone, she could hear and feel again.

“Maris! Are you all right?”

_fine._

“Was that…”

Percy spoke up. “That was a powerful defensive move. It is simply called Protect. Done correctly, it is a flawless shield, completely separating the user from all outside interference of any kind. Elemental attacks, psychic disruptions, physical blows. Nothing can get through. It’s quite unusual that she’d know it. Every Pokemon can learn it, but Riolu and Lucario are not typically defensively oriented Pokemon.”

Jake and Maris both stared at him. He smiled apologetically.

“Forgive me. I studied a great deal about many topics as a younger man. I often forget that it might seem odd for a stranger to have all the answers in such detail.”

_want try again. continue._

“Of course.”

Without any signal from Percy, the Lucario attacked again, this time charging forward and attempting to land a direct blow with its fist. Maris once again made a defensive gesture, and the green sphere appeared, but this time it shattered when the attack hit, and Maris went flying back several meters. She staggered to her feet.

_pain. why?_

“Protect is a difficult move to master. Most Pokemon can only use it reliably once in a long interval. But with practice comes improvement, as in all things. For example, you recall the move my Lucario performed with Aura Sphere?”

_yes._

“Yes,” said Jake, mainly just so he could feel like he was still involved in the conversation.

“Aura Sphere is simply the name of a move in which a Pokemon utilizes a part of their life force directly to attack. The most basic form is that of a tracking sphere. But it can be split into multiple projectiles, used as a floating trap for an enemy, or even reshaped and wielded in a melee encounter. All these forms require practice. All moves are versatile, if you take the time to learn.”

_i aura sphere._

“Oh? Well let’s see it then. Go on.”

With effort, Maris conjured a small green orb in her palm. She launched it toward the Lucario, who extended a paw and dissipated it as it made impact.

_oh. sad. weak._

No, that was fairly average.

Jake jumped. He’d already had three voices in his head, but he was still caught off guard by the new one. The Lucario’s voice sounded neutral and matter-of-fact.

Maris, for her part, was giving her opponent a very odd look. Percy cleared his throat, glancing between the two Pokemon. “Well, we should probably end it there. It was never our intention to have a full-on battle, just to teach a new trainer a few things. I hope that was okay, I don’t mean to sound condescending. I just enjoy helping people.”

Jake nodded, though he was slightly put off by this guy. “It’s fine.”

“Mind if we walk with you for a while? We were in no hurry, and I’d be happy to answer any questions you have. Also, my Lucario would like to speak to your Riolu. What’s her name, by the way?”

_maris._

“Good name.”

  


_curious._

Yes?

_why lie?_

I… am sorry, youngling. I simply did not wish to discourage you. Especially not in front of the one you have chosen to be your companion.

_truth._

Very well. That Aura Sphere you hurled at me was quite a bit weaker than it should have been. However, that only means that kind of attack isn’t your strength. We Pokemon all have our individual strengths and weaknesses. I’m certain there’s some way for you to utilize your aura in a way that suits you. You simply must find out what it is.

_your weakness?_

…I don’t think I have one. I’m sorry, I might be an exception to the rule. No rule is true all the time, youngling. And that rule includes itself.

_wrong._

Oh?

_your weakness._

Do tell.

_you fake. lied. real know better._

The Lucario’s cool blue gaze slid downward to meet the suspicious green one.

You’re quite right. How foolish of me. That gave it away, didn’t it?

_what? not ditto._

For a split second, the Lucario’s form blurred, and Maris saw what lay underneath. Her eyes went wide.

I humbly request your silence on this, Maris.

_silent._

__

  


“And remember how I said that all Pokemon have the same force behind their powers, regardless of type? Your Riolu’s move Protect works by severing the connection between them and that force. This is difficult to do, and even dangerous if overused, since Pokemon rely on that force to exist. That power is also what allows them to be contained in a pure energy state. You see, Pokeballs aren’t actually technological. Rather, they are easily-produced empty capsules. The first Pokeballs, long, long ago, were simple acorns. The trainer themselves manipulates this force to bind the Pokemon to its container and can then summon or withdraw it at will. A Pokemon will even retreat to its ball on its own if is heavily damaged and becomes unstable. That is the heart of a trainer’s power to control and command Pokemon, and why measuring a trainer’s skill by the strength of their Pokemon is in any way meaningful.”

Jake was trying to pay attention, he really was. But this guy had been talking nonstop for almost half an hour. Maris wasn’t talking to him, presumably still having a private mental conversation with the Lucario. He envied her. No doubt the Pokemon had more interesting things to say.

For the first time, Percy seemed to notice Jake’s discomfort. He slowed to a stop, and so did Jake. “Well, that’s probably enough of that. The sun’s beginning to set, and I should be on my way. Are you two done back there?”

_yes._

Yes.

“Alright.”

He extended a hand, which Jake nervously took. Percy’s handshake was firm and friendly.

“Best of luck, Jake. I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

With that, he turned and walked back down the path toward Rustboro. His Lucario fell in line next to him, and Maris joined Jake. They plodded along, towards the pass to Verdanturf.

A minute later, Jake glanced behind him. Percy and his companion were already out of sight.

  


Verdanturf was well named. After a couple more days of travel, and one mildly stressful trek through a short cave, Jake emerged into a town dominated by green. To the south and east, fields of produce extended as far as he could see. He’d heard that the area was responsible for much of the food in the region, and he believed it. The center of town itself was fairly empty. Instead, he saw figures both human and Pokemon scattered about the fields.

Once again, only Maris was at his side. Both Pallas and Larka had hated Rusturf Tunnel. It hadn’t been the darkness; the main path was lit by torches. It was the enclosed space that got to them. It was the first thing Jake had seen that bothered Pallas, unless you counted getting hit with a tree. Jake figured that would bother just about anyone.

_not silcoon._

“It’s been like three weeks. Get over it.”

_no._

Jake rolled his eyes and released Pallas. He kept Larka in her ball. She couldn’t come out already invisible, so she would have to wait until they were alone. The Taillow flew around, investigating his new surroundings, then settled on Jake’s shoulder. Maris shot him a slightly annoyed glance. She had preferred that spot as well, though she had to admit the Taillow fit a lot better.

There was little reason to stop at the Center here. There were still many hours of daylight left, and the road to Mauville wasn’t a long one. He took the path east.

Some hours later, he had quite the surprise. The door of one of the countless farmhouses he’d passed burst open, and a child came running out, laughing and holding a basket of fruit. When Jake saw her face, something pinged in the back of his head. His brow furrowed, then it came to him.

The girl was the spitting image of Wally, the first trainer he’d ever battled. This kid was only a couple years older. An Ekans slithered along at her side.

“You okay, mister?” She'd noticing him staring.

“Yes, I- do you have a brother named Wally?”

Her face lit up, and Jake flinched as she yelled without turning around. “Hey! Everyone! This guy knows Wally!”

In no time at all, he was surrounded by at least three generations of Wally’s family. None shared his stutter, but there were plenty of ice blue eyes and soft features. 

Maris bristled. None of them had any hostile intent, but this was too many people for Jake to handle at once. He was starting to panic. She felt it clearly, like he was exuding pressure in waves. He held his ground, however, even as the barrage of questions came at him.

“Where did you see my boy?”

“How was little cuz?”

“Has his Ralts evolved yet?”

“Can I pet your Taillow?”

“Did he get a Nav?”

“Just, um, no, yes, I… um.” Jake was stammering hopelessly. Too many people, too fast. Too many noises at once.

“Hey now, don’t crowd the kid. Back off, folks.”

The voice was obeyed. It turned out to belong to an older woman. She, too, bore the blue eyes of Wally’s family, and her hair was silver grey. Her leathery skin and hardened muscles spoke of a life spent working outdoors. “Sorry ‘bout that.” She leaned in close, but not too close, and whispered. “Yer Riolu there let me know you ain’t too comfortable with lots of people. I get it. One sec.”

_Thanks_, thought Jake. Maris had broken the rules Norman had laid out, but it seemed like the lady hadn’t minded.

_of course._

Turning back to her family, the matriarch started waving them off. “Shoo, shoo. Y’all still got work to do before evenin’ hits. Get to it.” Grumbling, they trudged off, shooting curious looks back at the trainer who had brought news of their youngest family member.

She extended a weathered hand. “Miranda Chu. Wally’s grandmother. Sorry we spooked ya. We’re all a little protective of the boy, and we haven’t heard from him since he left.”

His heart rate dropping, Jake shook her hand. “I met him just north of Littleroot, he was on his way to Birch’s place. He seemed alright. We battled- in fact, that was my first battle ever.”

“And?” Miranda’s eyebrows shot up. “Who won?”

“…Us. Sorry.”

She gave him an odd look and laughed. “Nothin’ to apologize for! Gotta lose to win, and win to lose. Just how it works, ain’t that so?”

“I… guess?”

“Eh, you didn’t come here to listen to an old woman spout nonsense. But hey, if you see our boy again, tell him we love him and miss him, won’t you?” She lowered her voice again, even though there was no one else around. “I don’t blame him for stayin’ away for a while. Some of them… well. They ain’t gotten used to him being… _him_. They try, but…” She sighed. “Morons. What difference does it make?”

Jake wondered if it was alright for her to disclose such a thing. Perhaps she wasn’t quite as understanding as she thought she was. But she _was_ trying. “He seemed happy enough when I met him. A little nervous, but no more than I was.”

“Glad to hear it. Now, you should be on your way. Though you’re welcome to stay the night here, if you want. We have plenty of space, though you might have to put up with a few more questions. I’ll try to keep ‘em off ya.”

“I… I don’t do so well sleeping inside most of the time. I just prefer the outdoors…” Jake trailed off, not sure how to explain the strange habits he had developed after he’d escaped. 

To his surprise, she nodded. “You ain’t the only one. Quite a few of you champion types these days are like that. Never happy with a roof over your heads or a soft bed. Can’t say I understand, but each to their own, eh?”

Jake felt relieved. He’d taken his dislike of the indoors to be a direct consequence of his imprisonment. And while that probably wasn’t completely untrue… maybe there was something else to it? For some reason, he started thinking about Petalburg Forest. He _missed_ that place. He had felt like he belonged there, more than anywhere else he had ever been.

When he wasn’t looking, the wild had become his home.

“At the very least, let me fetch you some fresh food. It’s not a proper meal, but it’s better than the traveling rations they give you at Centers. Unless it’s improved from my trainer days.”

“No, I couldn’t-”

“Nonsense. Wait right here.”

Presently, she returned with a basket of fruit. “Take this. You can leave the basket wherever, it’s made to fall apart in a few days. Turns back into soil eventually. Circle of life, all that.”

“Oh. Thanks. Thank you.”

She smiled again. “Always glad to help a passing trainer. Oh, and if you want a good campsite, there’s one not twenty minutes down the road. Take the small path left after you pass the tree that’s knocked down but still growing. There’s a pond and some large rocks that make for good shelter. I sometimes sneak out there when all them-” She gestured in the vague direction of where her family had wandered off. “-get to be a bit too much.”

“Got it. Thanks again.”

“Of course. Now off with you. Shoo, shoo.” She was using the same commanding tone she had used earlier, and Jake couldn’t help but obey. Such was the power of grandmothers, he reflected, recalling some of his earliest memories.

  


They found the campsite easily. It showed signs of frequent usage by trainers, and Jake was thankful that no one else had already claimed it. He set up in the shadow of the rocks and relaxed, munching on the fresh fruit. After he released Larka, she took off to survey the area while invisible. She’d taken up that role the past few days, as the range of her psychic abilities far exceeded that of Maris’s. She hadn’t forgotten her desire for vengeance against Aqua and didn’t plan to be caught napping. A few minutes later, she returned and uncloaked, apparently satisfied that no Team members lurked in the trees.

Maris was tinkering with her Aura Sphere. She carefully summoned one, and with effort, held it in her paw, just as she had seen her mother Reyna do. Concentrating, she dashed forward and struck a nearby boulder with it.

With a flash of green, she rocketed backwards and smacked into a tree, falling facedown.

“Maris! Are you all right?” Jake cried.

_small pain. large indignance._

Relieved that she was fine, Jake began to laugh. Truly, sincerely laugh. And then, he kept laughing. He couldn’t remember the last time. Looking at his friend fuming on the ground, having just been thoroughly defeated by a rock, years’ worth of lost joy was coming to him at once.

Maris rose, shaking off dirt and leaves. She glared at her trainer.

_you try._

She leapt at him and bowled him over. Her yips of laughter joined his, and they tussled on the forest floor as the last of the day’s light faded.

Larka and Pallas watched the pair in amusement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ares was the name of another Taillow in a long-discarded pointless subplot. Argulor, Celerus, and Kelrune were all names I once considered. The first is an obscenely old eagle from a Redwall book, the second is based off the Latin word for speed, and the third is a permutation of the second to make it sound less like celery. For some reason, this damn bird was by far the hardest character to name.
> 
> Jake, probably: “Sir, that’s my emotional support Riolu.”


	8. Connections

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme: [Dissension (Remix)](https://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/dissension-remix-3)

When the Pokeball shattered, Jake _felt_ something snap. 

The kid- he couldn’t have been more than thirteen- had a sneer on his face and a chip on his shoulder from the start. Maris had reacted to him with extreme hostility, her hackles rising at the brat’s first few words. 

She had tried to go easy on his Pokemon, a ragged-looking Combusken. But it barely put up a fight. It was already exhausted and couldn’t land a hit. She felled it without further ado. 

Instead of recalling his Pokemon, the child had yelled, thrown his Combusken’s ball on the ground, and stomped on it. 

Jake reeled. What the hell had the kid done? The Combusken, already on its knees, keeled over and didn’t move. The air felt supercharged, like lightning was about to strike. For a moment, he thought he saw… something, around the Combusken. Something pale and pulsing. But then it faded, and Maris’s reaction slammed into him. 

She was enraged. Her anger only fed Jake’s own. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” 

The kid started to say something but didn’t get the chance to finish. Maris didn’t bother with words. In a blur, she closed the distance between her and the trainer and- 

Ow. Jake couldn’t help but wince. Brat deserved it, though. Briefly, he wondered what Norman would make of this situation. 

For the record, the Leader of Petalburg would have wholly approved of Maris’s response. 

  


The kid half-ran and half-staggered off, his yelling an octave higher. Both Jake and Maris ignored him and focused their attention on the Combusken. It was still unconscious, but there was no sign of further damage. Nevertheless, when the brat was safely out of sight, Jake released Larka. 

She’s in shock. When the connection between a human and Pokemon is forcibly severed like that… Well, it isn’t pleasant. But she’ll be fine. 

“Oh. Are you sure?” 

Yes. I've seen it before.

"Really?"

I’ve had plenty of time to watch humans and Pokemon interact, Jake. I’m about two hundred years old.

“_What?_” 

I did say that I had lived on that island for a century. 

_amusement._

Jake decided that he would process this later and recalled the Latias. It was then that the Combusken began to stir. He backed off. It was probably best to let Maris speak to it first. It might be wary of humans now. 

Slowly, the Combusken opened its pale eyes and met the Riolu’s friendly green gaze. 

  


Ten minutes later, Jake caught the Combusken. According to Maris, her name was Katrina. 

The Riolu had pried the story out of her. She had evolved only a day before her trainer had demanded she take on Wattson. It hadn’t gone well. The kid had instructed her to take his Pokemon down with brute force, but Katrina was still so unused to her new form and limbs that it had made a fool of her. He had been quite angry, and her second failure was evidently the last straw. 

She was glad to be free of her trainer. She had been given to him by Birch, since he had shown up without having already caught any Pokemon. That should have been a warning sign. He turned out to be petulant, arrogant, and impulsive. Katrina learned to be the same, even though she knew it wasn’t right. She evolved as soon as she possibly could, hoping that maybe this would make her trainer happy. 

It did not work. If her trainer hadn’t done what he did, she would have cut the connection herself. She was relieved to be in the hands of someone who was the complete opposite. Judging by Maris’s description of her trainer, Jake was an inherently wary and forward-thinking person almost to the point of paranoia. She didn’t know the reason for that, as Maris hadn’t shared it, but she far preferred this to her blustering former trainer. 

Maris relayed this as best she could, with Katrina’s permission. Jake wondered what could have possibly happened to the kid to make him like that. There was surely a sad story there, not that it excused his behavior. What would become of him now? 

It hardly mattered to him, he supposed. Katrina’s happiness was his responsibility now. 

  


That evening, Jake watched as Maris and Katrina sparred. The Riolu was as gifted in close range combat as was to be expected from her type, but the Combusken… not so much. Despite having evolved, Jake’s newest ally couldn’t keep up with his oldest. 

Jake assumed it was due to her still being unused to her form, but Maris had her own suspicions. She’d been told that Pokemon all had their strengths and weaknesses. She now considered it to be a fundamental truth and was eager to determine what Katrina was good at. 

It wasn’t speed. The Combusken wasn’t slow, but Maris could outpace her easily. It wasn’t wits. She wasn’t slow that way, either, but she struggled to execute any maneuver more complex than a simple feint. It definitely wasn’t strength. She was utterly outclassed there. As Jake watched, he realized that his friend had grown alarmingly powerful. She reminded him of Norman’s Vigoroth a bit. She had the makings of a warrior, like Reyna before her. 

He saw in Katrina’s attempts to fight Maris hand-to-hand what Norman must have seen in him and Maris. There was just no comparison. Surely the Combusken had some natural talents? 

The answer should have been obvious. Minerva Vasilios, for one, would have already guessed it. Unlike her, Jake wasn’t very well versed in Pokemon types. Considering the Combusken’s beak and feathers, he had assumed she shared qualities with Pallas. While maybe she did in some ways (something else Minerva had highly controversial theories on), she was first and foremost a child of fire. 

When it finally occurred to Maris to ask her to demonstrate, it was like someone had snatched the sun out of the sky. Flames erupted from her whole body, swirling upward in a column of scorching heat. Jake flinched away. It was too bright to look at. 

When the inferno died down, Jake risked a peek. The Combusken was still coated in flame. She seemed shocked at her own power. Maris was jumping around excitedly, paying no mind to the fact that her fur was scorched. 

_found it._

  


Mauville was on the horizon, and Jake was making plans to take on its Leader. With four Pokemon at his side, he thought he had a decent chance. The other trainers he’d met in Rustboro- to his shock, Jake realized he considered them friends- had mentioned that the man favored electric Pokemon. If he had his types right, that meant… 

“Pallas, you should stay out of this one. I’m not sure you’re healed enough yet, and this is a bad matchup for y- ow!” 

The Taillow had pecked him. 

“Not a fan of sitting on the sidelines, huh. Alright then. Just be careful, all right? This really isn’t that important.” 

Pallas chirped. 

_he wants to fight._

Jake asked something he’d been meaning to for a while. “Why do you all like fighting so much?” 

Maris shrugged. 

_fun._

By the time Jake crossed the threshold of Mauville, he and his Pokemon were ready. 

  


The word “gregarious” seemed to have been invented with Wattson in mind. Jake found him chatting with a crowd of trainers of all ages in Mauville’s Center. 

“Excuse me?” 

No one heard him. Maris wanted to intervene on his behalf, but she didn’t want another Leader angry at them from the start. Wattson seemed very different from Norman, but she couldn’t confirm that without breaking the rules the latter had established. 

“Hey! Um…” 

The room went quiet. Jake felt very small with so many eyes on him. With effort, he managed to meet Wattson’s curious stare and squeak out, “I want to-” 

The Leader cut him off with a hearty laugh and a grin. “Ah HA! Another challenger! This has been a busy day indeed. Come with me!” 

He led Jake to an arena just like Norman’s and Roxanne’s. To Jake’s distress, the crowd followed and even grew larger as they crossed the center of town. It seemed like they all wanted to watch the battle. 

The people of Mauville were fond of their Leader. He was pushing seventy, but had the energy and pure zest for life of a child. Wattson alone had brought the community together. Right in the center of Hoenn, Mauville had begun as a waypoint for travelers, a place everyone went but no one was from. Wattson changed that. The people of Mauville were all from different backgrounds, with different histories, with different places they once called home, but they were united in their admiration for this goofy old man who let nothing get in the way of him enjoying everything he did. 

Jake and Wattson took up their positions on opposite sides of the arena. Jake did his best to ignore the crowd, many of whom were loudly speculating about his chances. 

“Ready, kiddo?” 

“As I’ll ever be.” 

  


Pallas lasted about as long as Jake expected. The Magnemite shrugged off his flurry of pecks and zapped him into submission. Jake returned him to his ball. 

“Good effort, buddy.” 

When the Combusken materialized on the battlefield, Wattson raised a single eyebrow. He said nothing, however, just called for his Pokemon to get out of range. Soon enough, Katrina was dodging arcs of electricity. 

Her recent failure against this very Pokemon, coupled with her discovery that her prowess with fire was her greatest weapon, led her to employ a completely different strategy than before. Bit by bit, she maneuvered herself into position directly below the Magnemite. 

When she unleashed her flames, the crowd gasped. A few clapped. The Magnemite fell to the ground, sparking. It was out for the count. 

“Ha! Now that was impressive. But, little firebrand… can you do it again?” Wattson replaced the Magnemite with the Pokemon’s evolution. Katrina looked at the Magneton with horror. 

She was tired. Wattson was right. She couldn’t do that again. But she wasn’t going down without a fight. The Magneton was a much bigger target than her previous opponent, and she managed to hit it with smaller bouts of flames. However, it didn’t seem too bothered, and eventually she too fell to the electricity coming off its body. 

Maris was up. She eyed her opponent. Only she and Wattson could tell that the Magneton was actually quite worn down from Katrina’s fire. The electric Pokemon had little in the way of facial features, but Wattson knew his Pokemon well, and Maris could read its weakened aura plain as day. 

This made her overconfident, and it cost her. When she leaped, the Magneton unleashed a shockwave of lightning in every direction. There was no dodging it. Maris was blown backwards and hit the ground hard. 

“You alright?” called Jake. 

_yes._

She staggered as she stood. Her fur was puffed out comically. Jake wisely made no comment, but Maris could detect his amusement. She’d get him for that later. For now, she had a Magneton to defeat. And she knew just how to do it. 

The Leader’s Pokemon watched her, waiting for her next move. It probably expected her to try some ranged attack, namely the aura manipulation her kind were known for. Its three eyes betrayed some shock when the Riolu simply leaped at it again. 

This time, when the shockwave came at her, Maris cloaked herself in her Protect. She passed right through, unscathed, and hit the Magneton as hard as she could. The dull ringing of metal could just barely be heard over the excited chatter of the spectators. 

Maris landed gracefully and looked to see if her foe was finished. It wasn’t, but only just. It wavered in the air, lowering itself almost to the ground. One of its three Magnemite components had gone limp, which raised questions Jake didn’t have time to think about. 

The Riolu rushed forward, intending to land the finishing blow. It didn’t quite go as planned. The Magneton released one last desperate wave of electricity, and once again Maris brought up her personal barrier. This time, however, it failed. The shockwave shattered it and hit the Riolu, but the force of her leap carried her forward and her attack landed. 

The Magneton fell, but so did Maris. The crowd went wild. Jake recalled her with a grim expression. Wattson had one more Pokemon. He had to answer in kind, or surrender. 

Well. He’d almost hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but he knew that it had been unrealistic. There was some risk in what he was about to do, but what was the point of Larka being at his side if she wasn’t able to fight? She certainly wouldn’t stand for it. Jake took a deep breath and released her. The crowd fell silent in shock. 

  


Luck, whimsical as ever, had smiled upon one of the faces in the crowd. If the Riolu had scanned her surroundings as usual instead of focusing on the battle, things might have gone very poorly for him. He had gone quite still when she had been released and let out a long sigh of relief when she was withdrawn. 

He choked on that sigh when he saw the Latias. As quickly as he could, he slipped out of the arena and headed outside. When he was quite sure no one was around, he brought a device on his wrist up to his mouth. What he had there wasn’t a Nav. It could pass as one to all but the closest inspection, but it was just a simple radio. He activated it and spoke quietly. 

“Leader Maximilien. I’ve discovered something of interest.” 

  


Back inside, Larka was locked in combat with a Manectric. She was the subject of much interest from the crowd. Even Wattson found himself distracted. Despite his years of experience, he had only seen her kind once in his life. He knew just how powerful they _could_ be, but this particular dragon was in the hands of a fairly amateurish trainer. By his reckoning, his Pokemon had just as much chance of winning this as did the Latias. 

Larka’s invisibility did her no good here, as the Manectric could pick up her scent and locate her instantly. She took a nasty bolt of lightning for her trouble, which brought back some bad memories. She shook them off and responded by smacking her opponent into the ground with psychic force. 

The battle wore on, and it seemed like neither Pokemon was giving any ground. The crowd was divided on who to cheer for. Some backed their Leader as usual, others wanted to see this fantastic and rare Pokemon succeed. 

The only one who saw that the battle was starting to turn in the Leader’s favor was Jake. Gradually, Larka’s movements were slowing, and she wasn’t hitting as hard as she had been a moment ago. In a flash, he recalled something that her brother had said. 

_She lacks the offense power for a drawn-out battle._

“Larka,” he called. “Give it everything you’ve got.” 

Understood. 

Larka opened her mouth, and from it came a torrent of blue flame. It struck the Manectric directly, and he howled as the fire engulfed him. The Latias kept it up, intent on finishing the battle there and then. 

When she finally relented, she wobbled in the air for a moment. She was just about out of energy. If that hadn’t done it- 

The Manectric leapt out of the swirl of flames. In one swoop he clamped his jaws around Larka’s neck and dragged her to the ground. The canine was shaking, clearly on the verge of collapse. There was no force behind his bite. It didn’t matter, because the impact with the ground alone was enough. 

I surrender. 

Without a word, Jake withdrew her. Wattson recalled his Manectric. 

“Sorry, kid. Damn close there. Had me worried for a moment!” 

Jake couldn’t manage to feel too bad about the loss. The man’s cheerfulness was infectious. “Yeah. Try again next time, I guess.” 

“That’s the spirit! I did have a question, though.” 

“Yes?” 

“That Combusken seemed familiar. Is she the same one that belonged to another challenger not a week ago?” 

“Oh, um, yes.” He relayed the whole incident, adding in some of the information Maris had garnered. 

Wattson’s usually smiling face turned very serious. “I didn’t like the feel of that kid when he walked in, and he certainly wasn’t happy to lose. But that’s something else completely. We don’t tolerate that sort of thing. I’m glad you have her now. Keep her. I’ll contact Birch, and he’ll put the trainer on probation. No challenges for him for at least a year, and he’ll have to help out one of us Leaders for a time.” 

His usual grin returned. “Eh, he’ll sort out. Kids can do some nasty stuff, but he wouldn’t be the first rascal we’ve whipped into shape. As for you, Jake DeSantos, I’ll be happy to accept your challenge again in a month. Until then!” 

  


“Sorry.” 

No. You reminded me that I needed to act before my energy was gone. For all my experience, I’d simply forgotten that I’m not as powerful as I used to be. If I had unleashed everything, right at the beginning, I’d have wiped out that Manectric easily. 

“That probably would have disappointed the crowd.” 

True. Speaking of which… 

The mass of people had followed Jake when he returned to the Center. He’d managed to get across to them that he didn’t want questions, and they’d respected that. Some dispersed when the Latias made no appearance, but a few were determined to see her again. A full two hours had passed before Jake decided to give them what they wanted. They were circling now, absolutely enthralled. 

“Do you want to go back in your ball?” He lowered his voice as much as he could. “Aqua might catch wind of this.” 

No. I think I will enjoy speaking to some of these people. Humans are quite fascinating. As for Aqua… they’re welcome to try. 

There was a glint in her eye that would tolerate no argument. Jake relented. The five of them could handle anything, right? 

To his own surprise, he found himself beginning to believe that. 

  


Wattson hadn’t suggested anywhere for them to go, and unlike Rustboro, there was no rush to get out of the city. After mulling it over, Jake decided to head south on a whim. Reportedly, the road to Slateport wasn’t well kept due to passing through a marsh. This sounded enough like wilderness to attract Jake’s attention. 

This proved to be a mistake. Jake himself didn't mind the mud and the damp very much, but Maris was struggling. Every two minutes he had to recall her just to remove the mud weighing her down, and she even got stuck a handful of times. Jake didn't want to have to put her away for the whole journey. Before they’d gone an hour, he decided to turn around, but now the sun was setting, and they were stuck in the marshlands for the night. It took another half hour just to locate somewhere dry and solid enough to set up camp. 

At least, he reflected, Katrina’s fire might have trouble spreading if she made a mistake. He’d been worrying a little obsessively about that. On the wide, barren path between Verdanturf and Mauville, it hadn’t been an issue. Here, every inch of the landscape was covered in foliage of some kind, albeit damp foliage. When Katrina went to light the campfire, he stopped her. The Combusken looked at him quizzically. 

“That might not be a good idea. We don’t have a water Pokemon to douse the flames if… just let me.” 

She squawked at him, then spat a torrent of fire, spinning as she did so. 

“What the hell are you-” 

Katrina merely glanced at the flames rising on all sides, and they died down and sputtered out. Then she stared at Jake. There was only so expressive she could without lips, but her message was obvious. _I can control it, you idiot._

Maris started laughing, her yips louder than the Politoed that was croaking somewhere nearby. Jake sighed. He’d been at this for a while now, and there was still so much basic knowledge he was lacking. “Sorry. As you were, then.” 

  


Late that night, Jake turned restlessly. The one Politoed had been joined by several others of its kind. The cacophony was earsplitting. He gave up sleep and started scrolling through the information his Nav provided about Lavaridge and Fallarbor. Rough population estimates, common local Pokemon, that sort of thing. Apparently, the people of Fallarbor had been discovered by one of the first champions, and only properly integrated with the rest of Hoenn less than a century ago. 

He was reading about the Fallarboran methods of making glass from volcanic ash when it occurred to him that, if memory served, he’d lived not too far from Fallarbor. Was his family one of those who came from the isolated northern community? He didn’t know and had no way to find out. 

As he mulled this over, something else started nagging him. There was something he’d forgotten, something he’d read that- 

The date. It was displayed on his Nav. It was his birthday. Ten minutes to midnight, he’d almost missed it. 

Before he could stop himself, his mind raced back to last year. It wasn’t a good memory. 

It was the day he’d made the decision to run. 

  


His brother- Jake refused to remember his name or face- had entered his room without asking, as he so often did. Jake had looked up wearily from a book he was reading. It wasn’t interesting; a manual on peach farming that had inexplicably been left in a box in one of the base’s dusty storage rooms. It was just something to do. 

His only remaining family spoke softly and smoothly, like a Seviper slipping through undergrowth. He spoke of restriction and freedom, chaos and order, truth and lies, all leading up to his “present.” 

Come next year, Jake would be permitted- and by that, his brother meant _expected_\- to become a proper part of the Team. Going on “missions.” Once, just once, the man had slipped and said “raids.” 

Jake wasn’t stupid. He had been his own teacher for six years, reading and learning whatever he could with what little he had. Most importantly, he’d managed to hold onto his moral compass. It was so very obvious that this was so very wrong. 

He didn’t sleep for three days after that little talk. The decision should have been an easy one. He’d read storybooks as a child, he knew how this sort of thing was supposed to go. He’d bust out, be the hero, bring his brother and everyone else to justice, and walk off singing into the sunset. 

That wasn’t how it worked. He didn’t want that to be how it worked. He didn’t want that responsibility. He just wanted to leave and be rid of Aqua for good, one way or another. So he would. 

And, months later, so he did. 

  


Jake surfaced from the memory with a gasp. Maris hadn’t woken up. He was alone. Outside his little tent, the darkness was absolute. No stars shone. The moon was gone. He couldn’t even see the ground. The noise of the nearby Pokemon had vanished. It was as if he was floating in the void. 

He screwed up his eyes and shook his head to clear it. When he looked back, the void was gone. The embers of the campfire Katrina had made glowed softly, illuminating the ground. From above, the moon and stars cast their soft light down on the marsh. Everything was fine. The Politoed, however, had gone silent. 

Minutes later, he succumbed to slumber. He dreamt of the wild.

  


So close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an awkward chapter, some sections of which gave me a lot of trouble. Katrina was part of the original written concept (just a paragraph I scribbled down one day in 2009 or so) that eventually became this story, but in all that time, I’ve never been able to come up with a way to write her first scene to my satisfaction. I did the best I could, though, which is the first step to potentially not having the same troubles again.
> 
> 4/6 slots filled. Of course, there’s no reason for the limit of six to exist here. Hmm. That… only occurred to me just now, actually. “Just now” as in when I’m finishing up this chapter, a full, oh, two months before it’s posted.
> 
> Anyway. Next chapter’s the end of Part 1. Its musical theme is Savior of the Dreaming Dead. Any Homestucks out there will understand exactly how big a deal that is.


	9. Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme: [Savior of the Dreaming Dead](https://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/savior-of-the-dreaming-dead-2)

Weeks passed as Jake’s path took him north. It was the obvious route. Crossing the channel east would be foolish and inviting danger from Aqua. So, the ashlands it was. He didn’t even try passing through the desert to get there. There was no way he was prepared for such a trek and so stuck to the long route. He only stopped for a brief while in Lavaridge. Jake had little interest in challenging Flannery now, after losing to Wattson so recently. Instead, he decided to climb Jagged Pass. The volcanic landscape was familiar. He knew there was nothing left for him there, but if could find where he used to live, maybe it would provide some sense of closure. He was pretty sure it was somewhere east of Fallarbor. Maybe there would be someone who had known his grandmother before she died. It was worth a try. 

It was a sweltering day. Even Maris, who preferred to be out of her ball as much as possible, had found the heat intolerable, and requested to be stored away until they reached shelter. Instead, Pallas circled above Jake. He chirped happily, enjoying the warm updrafts. 

The first sign of trouble was his Nav being ripped off his wrist. 

Something yanked him sideways by his arm, knocking him into the dirt. When he rose, he looked around for his assailant and saw nothing. However, he heard the electric crackle of the Nav’s defense system and tried to pinpoint it. Just before it became too faint to detect, he thought caught sight of a floating red stripe vanishing into the craggy landscape. 

Seeing him fall, Pallas plummeted downwards and landed by his side, chirping rapidly. 

“Yeah. Yeah bud, I don’t know what’s up either. Hang on.” 

Thankfully, he had not one but two Pokemon well suited to tracking stealthy foes. He released the stronger of the two. 

“Larka, something invisible just stole my Nav. Can you tell-” 

Jake. We’re surrounded. Get everyone out. Now. 

He complied without a word. Panic began to set in. Was it Aqua? Had they tracked him down? 

_not for you. you not known to them. for us._

Maris’s eyes were closed, readying herself for the chaos that was about to ensue. 

_coming._

Pokemon exploded from every direction. Golbat, Numel, Baltoy, Mightyena, too many others to count. Jake’s Pokemon rose to meet them, and the pass became a battlefield. Pallas harassed a pair of Golbat, keeping them on his good side as he tried to knock them out of the air. Maris garnered the attention of a Mightyena pack and dodged between them. Their bites met empty air, but it was a narrow thing. Katrina engaged a pair of Numel, as the only one that could keep the fire directed away from her trainer. 

The bulk of the opponents gravitated to Larka, and she was handling them. Baltoy spun at her, but she gave them a psychic nudge and altered their course so that they crashed into each other. Mightyena leaped at her, but she turned invisible and attacked them from random angles. Golbat, who could still detect her, swarmed in close, but with one psychic shockwave she sent them all spiraling towards the rocks below. 

A Poochyena broke the lines and came lunging at Jake, and he almost failed to dodge in time. He kept retreating. Norman had warned him about this, but all the orderly, friendly battles had still made him forget that he was in real danger now. He had to keep his distance. 

In fact, he hadn’t dodged in time at all. The Poochyena landed on its feet and turned, ready to try again to catch this human that had suddenly turned to mist when he bit down. It was too simple-minded to consider this impossibility, and just leaped again. It was intercepted by a hard blow from the Riolu and smacked into a rocky outcrop. 

_no._

The fight dragged on and even more Pokemon emerged from the cliffs. Jake heard shouting from the Team- by now, he had figured out that this must be Magma- which was the only indication of humans around. They too were trying to stay out of the way. 

Pallas fell, overwhelmed by Zubat. He returned to his ball. Katrina followed, trampled into the dirt by Numel. Maris held her ground, but she was tiring. Larka assessed the situation from above and came to a quick decision. She hoped Jake would be safe- oh, of course he would. They had a shield. 

Maris, Protect yourself and Jake. I’m wiping them out. 

The Riolu obeyed without question, despite Jake’s protests. They watched through the barrier as Larka’s eyes glowed bright. Some of the Pokemon stopped their assault and looked nervously at the sky. 

Jake had been far away from the Aqua base when it was struck by the attack he had since learned to be called Draco Meteor. And, as Larka had said, it was not nearly as powerful as it had been. 

It was still enough to make Jake feel like the world was ending. Maris, growling with effort as she wielded her mother’s gift, felt a pang of jealousy at the dragon’s strength. When the dust cleared, multiple streams of light were retreating from the freshly ravaged terrain. Larka had done what she had promised, and when Maris’s Protect dropped, she too returned to her ball. 

Jake relaxed. Maris didn’t, and moved in front of her trainer. She could sense them coming. 

A Camerupt and a Charizard landed before them with an earth-shattering thud. Jake looked at them with horror. There was no way Maris could handle them. She was already tired; he could feel it. She was actively resisting the pull of her ball. 

He had the crazy urge to attack the Pokemon himself. Maybe he’d manage to distract them long enough for Maris to run. There was no other option. He had to do something. He had to-

The sound of something massive crashing through the brittle trees was followed by an earsplitting roar. Before either Pokemon could react, the two fire types were engulfed by pure energy. A Hyper Beam wiped them both out. 

The shouting of the nearby Team Magma became screams of terror and rage, then faded as they retreated. Jake sagged with relief. A strong trainer, or maybe a ranger, had come to his rescue! Everything was going to be okay. 

The new Pokemon turned out to be a gargantuan Gyarados. It loomed over Jake. He wasn’t scared. He’d learned his lesson about mistrusting Pokemon because of their intimidating appearances a long time ago. 

He was about to learn something new, something that Maris had been told. No rule is true one hundred percent of the time (and said rule includes itself, but that isn’t relevant here.) As for the Riolu, she didn’t need to consider any rules. She already knew. She was taking the seconds she had to rest, lacking the energy to even warn her trainer. 

Jake smiled and waved at the serpent, then projected his voice, speaking to both the Pokemon and the trainer which must be nearby. “Hey! Thanks. You really saved our asses there.” 

“Oh, you’re quite welcome, little Jakey. Now, won’t you be a dear and come with me?” 

Jake’s blood ran cold. He knew that voice. 

The Gyarados moved aside, and standing on a ledge above him was the Aqua commander Shelly. 

“You’ve made it farther than I expected, kid. How did you pull off getting that puny red dragon to break you out? Or did you just take the opportunity to flee when it destroyed half the base and escaped with its cohort? I suppose it doesn’t really matter. You’re coming home now, Jakey. Archie wants a word with you.” 

Jake took a step back, trembling with fear. Maris stepped in front of him defiantly and glared at the woman, who ignored her. 

Then, to his shock, Shelly’s expression changed, and she too took one step backwards. But she quickly returned to her usual twisted smirk and leapt down from the ledge to face him. The Aqua commander seemed to be inspecting him as carefully as she could from a distance. 

“…So that’s how it is. Well, this just became a very different situation. _Excellent._”

She turned to her Pokemon. “Gyarados? Attack the Riolu. Drag it out. Make her suffer. I can’t destroy him until he starts fighting back.” 

It lunged, and Maris rose to meet it, undaunted.

  


Fearless as she was, the Riolu was outmatched. She had managed for this long by being a small target, and because the Gyarados wasn’t going all out. But as the battle entered its third minute, she was slowing down. She’d managed to Protect twice. A third attempt would be foolish. She hit it with barely controlled close range Aura Spheres, but the serpent was as unfazed as Percy’s Lucario had been. It just kept coming, tearing up the rocky pass as it chased its prey. 

There was nothing Jake could do. Running in to help Maris would be suicide. There was only one way out. 

He retrieved Maris’s ball from his belt. He’d recall her and surrender, and then try to release her and the rest somewhere along the way back. He didn’t want Aqua getting ahold of them. He couldn’t. Not ever. Even if it meant being alone again. 

_no._

“Maris, please-” 

_stop distract. can do this._

The little Riolu just barely cleared a strike by the massive serpent. She retaliated with a Force Palm to the jaw, but the Gyarados didn’t even seem to notice. It turned quick as lightning and smacked her with its tail. She went flying into a rock, shattering it and collapsing in the rubble. 

“No!” 

He raised the ball again, and suddenly it was torn from his hand. One of the Gyarados’s whiskers, intentionally or not, had swiped it away as its massive head swung by Jake. The monster looked down at the Riolu which was now struggling to stand. 

“Shelly!” Jake yelled. “Stop this! I’ll go! Just her be! I’ll go back!” 

Shelly barely glanced at him. She did absolutely nothing. But Jake got a response. 

_jake._

His frightened gaze went to Maris, who had pulled herself to her feet. She looked at him, green eyes burning intensely. 

_i will **never** let you be alone again._

And she started to glow. White light encapsulated her form and grew brighter and brighter until it outshone the sun. The Gyarados flinched away, repelled by the power coming off Maris in waves. Jake looked on in awe. 

When the light faded, a Lucario stood where the Riolu had been. 

Maris was still looking at Jake. She had never taken her eyes off him through the change. 

Sit back, Jake. I’ll handle this. 

The voice in his head sounded different. Smoother, more coherent. But it was still unmistakably his best friend. 

In one massive leap, the Lucario sailed over the Gyarados and landed on its back. Rapidly climbing up, she positioned herself on the back of its neck and began slashing away with the spikes on her hands. The serpent roared in pain. It shook her off, but she landed on her feet and leaped at it again. When it swung its tail at her, she grabbed the tail fin and used it to propel herself directly at the Gyarados’s face. Her clenched paw connected directly with its forehead, and the beast reeled. She gained some distance and fired a quick barrage of Aura Spheres, aiming again for the face. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to do much. Even evolved, ranged attacks just weren’t her thing. Maris looked briefly annoyed. 

She didn’t have time to get distracted like that. Before Jake could shout a warning, the Gyarados unleashed another Hyper Beam. The same devastating attack that had annihilated the remaining Magma Pokemon and sent the Team running. 

When the blast faded, leaving cratered ground and shredded trees, Maris’s Protect stood strong and clear. She dropped it and flashed a smile at Jake. She was completely unscathed. He returned her grin, a little light-headed. Then the Lucario was blasted backwards by a jet of water. 

Maris stood up, drenched and sore but still very much in the fight. She dashed forward, closing the distance between her and the serpent. It kept firing water at her- apparently out of energy for another Hyper Beam for now- but no more shots landed. She was too fast, bounding between rocks up and down the cliffside. 

An Aura Sphere flickered to life in each of Maris’s paws. Still dodging jets of water from the Gyarados, she concentrated, and they began to thin and elongate. When they stopped, she was gripping two pulsing shafts of green energy, each about half a meter long. 

These will do. 

She leapt sideways, lunged, and struck the Gyarados’s belly with both weapons, one after the other. It recoiled, bellowing. 

Maris became a blue and green whirlwind, dealing quick blows to the massive serpent before dodging its counterattacks. The monster gradually began to retreat, and its movements got slower and slower as Maris only sped up. 

Shelly watched in silent fury. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. 

The Lucario had the Gyarados pressed up against the cliff face. It was shivering, looking at her fearfully. In one smooth motion, Maris combined her two reshaped Aura Spheres, gripping a now longer beam of light with both hands. 

I’m ending it. 

She leaped up once again, right over the blue serpent’s head. As she descended, she readied her weapon her one massive blow to the skull. 

It would have certainly knocked the beast out for good. But the attack never landed. 

The Gyarados steadied, whipping its head up to face its opponent. Its jaws opened wide, and from it came a roar, followed by a Hyper Beam. Maris had no chance to react in time. 

Jake let out a short scream as his friend was enveloped by the blast. It reached far into the sky. From it came Maris, trailing smoke. She hit the ground far below, not far from where Jake stood. She did not get up. 

Jake scrambled to find her Pokeball. The Gyarados had knocked it out of his hand, but it couldn’t have gotten too far- 

“Over here, Jaaaake,” came a singsong voice. Jake’s heart nearly stopped when he saw Shelly holding Maris’s ball. 

“Now, what should I do with this? I could destroy it, and get rid of that pesky auto-recall function. Then my dear Gyarados could simply end her. Or, I could keep it, and give it to Archie. I’m sure he’d have some use for a Lucario. She might need some breaking in, of course...” 

Jake felt himself being strained beyond his ability to comprehend. Anger, sorrow, despair swirled through him. There was no way out. And unlike all that time ago in the jungle northwest of Lilycove, he couldn’t afford to just give up. 

Out of the depths of his mind, fear began to take over. A primal fear, born from rage and desperation. Not the kind of fear that makes one run and hide, but the kind that demands you strike first, lest you be struck down. 

“There we go! Let it out, little ward. Let it out so I can end you.” 

Jake didn’t understand that. He barely heard it. Something was deeply wrong with him. There was no action he could take, so why was he bracing for a fight? His pulse pounded in his ears. There was pressure coming off him, in a way he couldn’t explain. It was coming off Shelly too. What was happening? 

He fell to his knees, clutching his head. There was a voice in there. Not Maris’s. Not Larka’s. Someone he didn’t recognize. It almost sounded like his own.

Something within him snapped, and fear overrode his senses. 

Shelly, feeling Jake finally reach the breaking point, let out a cackle. “Well, NOW we can get started!” 

She recalled Maris and her Gyarados, smiled viciously, and began to change. 

Her grin turned sharp, as shark-like teeth overlaid her own. Red lines arced around her form, hovering a centimeter above her skin. She spread her arms, and the scarlet streaks raced along to her hands, spreading to each finger. Ghostly blue fins sprouted from her side, trailing behind her. 

Her physical form didn’t change, but rather she was enveloped in a blue mirage. If Jake had been coherent, he would have recognized the likeness as that of Kyorge, titan of the sea. 

The air smelled of salt. There was a deep rumbling noise, as if the ocean churned just below them, and could be unleashed at any moment. The very air seemed to be shuddering under the force coming from the blue figure. 

Shelly waited for Jake to get up. She wanted a real fight. One on one, the raging primordial sea against whatever this kid had backing him up. 

She did not realize her mistake until it was far, far too late. 

Shadows lengthened. The midday sun dimmed. The air grew cold, and there were whispers on the wind. Colors drained from the world as it converged on Jake's kneeling form. Darkness began to pool around him, and then it was on him, and then it had consumed him. 

Jake stood up, and he was wreathed in shadow. His body had become wispy, inconsistent, unreal. Around his neck was a band of red spikes. His hands ended in indistinct claws. From his head, a flickering white plume trailed behind him. One eye was hidden. The other glowed an intense teal. 

Shelly froze in place. The image of Kyorge surrounding her flickered for a moment. 

Oh. Oh dear. 

She rallied quickly. 

You aren’t in control, are you. You have no idea what’s happening. You probably can’t even hear me. Well then, _Jake_,

she said, spitting out the name, 

_I am going to end this war here and now._

She was right about one thing. Jake wasn’t in control. He was barely conscious. All he was, was afraid. 

But that was enough. 

He lunged, phased right though the rushing wall of water Shelly conjured in his direction, and grabbed her by the throat. 

_What does this one fear?_

_Oh, nothing complicated. She’s a bully. Just a bully._

_She’s the kind that hurts others for fun._

_She’s the kind that doesn’t know how weak she truly is._

_She’s the kind that can’t face it._

_I wonder what happens if she’s forced to face it?_

Shelly screamed, and when she was done screaming, she went limp. The projection of Kyorge around her form flickered and faded. The raging seas calmed and dissipated. The pressure emanating from her was snuffed out in an instant. When Jake released her, she fell to the ground, barely breathing. 

Jake picked up Maris’s Pokeball, which Shelly had dropped when she’d begun her transformation. He returned it to where it belonged, turned and walked away a few steps, then stopped. 

The fear began to ebb from his mind. The day brightened again. The shadows were lifted from his form. His glowing teal eye dimmed and vanished. But before he could begin to think about what had just happened, a wave of exhaustion passed through him. His knees buckled, and once again he found himself losing grip on consciousness. 

The last thing he heard was a voice. It sounded vaguely familiar. 

“It’s alright, Jake. You’re going to be fine. I said I’d keep an eye on you, remember?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus ends Part 1.
> 
> I can only hope I did the musical theme I chose some measure of justice. I cannot possibly match the wonder that is Savior of the Dreaming Dead, but dammit if I didn’t try. As to the events of the chapter, I have but two things to say.
> 
> 1\. Maris, you can’t dodge in mid air.
> 
> 2\. “One eye was hidden. The other glowed an intense teal.” I can’t believe my main character is Sans fucking Undertale now.


	10. Ward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme: [Explore](https://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/explore-3)

Jake had never had trouble waking up. Doing so may have been painful, but the moment his mind began to stir, his eyes always opened. Not so this time. He grappled with his consciousness, chasing after it. Running, like he so often did. That seemed to be the solution to all his problems, yes? 

Except that the last thing he remembered was him finding an answer that didn’t involve running. It came back to him in an instant. Magma, Shelly, Maris, and… _whatever_ had happened. 

He snapped awake, but didn’t move. Maris’s usual presence in the back of his mind was gone, so either she was still in her ball or… Jake stopped that train of thought immediately. He was lying faceup on what felt like stone, and bits of sand chafed against his skin. The air was dry and hot. There was no sound but the low murmuring of voices somewhere just barely within earshot. Jake made every effort to be as silent as possible. If Aqua had him, he might just have a chance to escape if they thought he was still asleep. Maybe he would- 

There it was again. The panic within him was rising, threatening to overcome him. No. He wouldn’t submit. He wouldn’t do whatever it was he had done ever again. Never, never, never, never- 

In a wave of… was that pink? How was it pink? Regardless of the hue, a feeling of calm swept through Jake. His worries subsided. Everything was alright. 

NO, IT ISN’T, cried a small portion of his brain. But for now, it was overruled. Even when he heard that voice again- that voice that had seemed so familiar- he didn’t let himself worry over it. 

“Thank you. Best go wait outside, we don’t want to crowd him.” 

Whoever was being spoken to didn’t respond. Jake heard the faint sounds of footsteps going away. They echoed oddly. Where _was_ he? 

“I know you’re awake, Jake. Come on, then. I know you must be scared, but everything will be okay, I promise.” 

Right. Sure. He waited a few seconds, readying himself for anything. Then he leapt up in one smooth motion, prepared to- 

Oh, fucking hell. 

Looking up at him, sitting cross-legged on the floor, was a man in a ratty green duster. He had an almost condescendingly kind smile, all the more insufferable for how honest it was. Jake hadn’t really wanted to see this guy again. 

“Hello, Jake.” 

“…Hey, Percy. Um. What the fuck?” 

Percy chuckled. “That’s a good a question as any. Take a moment to breathe. You’ve been through a-” 

Jake interrupted him. “Where are my Pokemon?” 

“Safe, in your pack. It’d be best not to-” 

Jake spotted it not far away and dived for it without hesitation. 

“Wait-” 

He released Maris. She had to be alright, she _had_ to be. 

It felt like it took much longer than usual, time which he spent completely ignoring whatever Percy was saying. Eventually, the Lucario materialized before him. Her eyes lit up- 

But the moment she saw what stood before her, the joy in them faded and was replaced with… _alarm. Fear. Terror._

She was scared of _him_. Jake felt his heart break. Flinching in response, Maris shook herself, and _the fear faded._

Jake. I don’t… I can’t… What _are_-

She stopped midthought, finally having managed to break eye contact with Jake. 

Where are we? 

“I don’t know. I don’t care. I’ll get Larka out and-” 

I. I shouldn’t be here. 

Maris looked at her paws. Jake followed her gaze, and made a strangled noise of horror. She was starting to blur. Like Pallas had. Like Larka had. 

Percy’s voice cut through. “Jake! Put her away! Now! Pokemon can’t be here!” 

Now, when one’s body is disintegrating, that tends to draw one’s full attention. However, when Maris heard Percy, she ignored her fading extremities and concentrated. She probably only had moments before she would be forced to return to her ball. 

It was him. The trainer who… 

She gripped her friend’s wrists as best she could with her vanishing paws, sparing just a fraction of a second to appreciate her new height. He was scared, and… despite everything, what she was seeing right now scared her too. Something had happened, she didn’t know what, but if _they_ were behind it, it couldn’t be too bad. Meeting Jake’s shockingly unfamiliar gaze, she said, 

Trust him. For now. 

And then she slipped back into the confines of her ball. 

  


Percy had expected to need help calming Jake down again, but instead, after a full two minutes of silence, the younger man let out a long, weary sigh. “Alright. Talk. And I can’t believe I’m _asking_ that.” 

Percy didn’t respond to the jab, and Jake found himself feeling just a bit guilty about it. “This is going to be a lot to take in, Jake. I think the best way to start would be to answer your initial question. As you put it, _what the fuck_…” 

Suddenly Percy was eye level with him. This was particularly alarming due to the fact that he was, as far as Jake could tell, still sitting down. The man was just floating there, casual as you like. Jake fell backwards in shock, and Percy joined him on the ground again with a rush of displaced air. He was glowing, the air around him shimmering pink. 

Watch. 

He sounded… different. Softer. Jake had no time to think about it more, because Percy raised his hand and instantly a gleaming barrier appeared between the two of them. It was almost entirely transparent, tinged pink. Percy lowered his hand and met Jake’s eye. 

He erupted into flames, sweeping out from his body. Then ice froze over the ground at his feet. Electricity followed, arcing through the air. And finally came pure force, shattering the ice into snow. 

Behind the barrier, Jake was completely unharmed. Percy let the wall drop. The glow around his form- which Jake had only just noticed had a distinct shape to it- faded. “Completely unlike what you can do, of course. But you get the idea. It was no coincidence we met earlier. You had yet to awaken, but I wanted to meet you before you did, so as to make this easier. What you did back in Jagged Pass was-” 

Jake wasn’t listening. Even through the barrier, he had _felt_ Percy’s every action. And something in him was responding to it. He desperately tried to ignore that now-familiar pressure from within and focused on his surroundings instead. 

He was in a structure made of smooth sandstone. It was large, larger than the Centers or Leader arenas he’d been to, but it was crude. There were windows, if you could call regular gaps in the walls windows, and a door, a simple hole in the wall. _Regular._ That’s what it was. It was all made of perfect right angles, or it had been once, before being weathered by time. It felt ancient. A sturdy pyramidal roof capped the four stone walls. In all, it was easily four stories high at least. What _was_ this place? 

“-and you haven’t been listening to the past thirty seconds, have you.” It wasn’t a question. Percy didn’t seem bothered, though. 

Jake jerked back to attention. “No. Sorry. Where… are we?” 

“Hoenn. Specifically, the desert north of Mauville. More specifically, one of the three guardian shrines. It’s also our base of operations, since it’s the only one I could locate, and is at any rate far more comfortable than the other two are likely to be.” 

Jake looked around at the bare walls and the sand scattered about. _Comfortable?_

“Focus. Meet my eyes, if you can. Yes, like that. The bottom line, Jake, is this: you’re one of us. A ward.” 

“A what?” 

“Ward.” Percy’s tone betrayed no impatience, only kindness. “A term both for guard, and for one who is under the protection of another. That is what we are. Each of us is the ward of a different god and wields some of their power. I am the ward of Mew.” 

Shaking his head, Jake tried to follow all this. While he got his bearings, someone slipped into the chamber and approached where he and Percy sat. She was a year or two older than Jake, tall, with long black hair tied back in a ponytail. Her skin was lightly browned, clearly naturally so but further darkened by the sun. She walked with confidence and radiated strength. Something seemed off about her, however, and slowly Jake’s gaze was drawn to her side. 

He had to stop himself from flinching. Her left hand was horribly mangled, missing three fingers and a portion of the hand itself, leaving only the thumb and pointer finger. He might not have noticed it if she hadn’t been casually tossing and catching a Pokeball with it as she walked. 

“Jake, this is Nova, the ward of Palkia. She helped me get you from Jagged Pass to here. I can teleport myself, but not others. That’s where she comes in.” 

Nova spoke. Her voice was surprisingly deep, but casual and relaxed. “Sorry, P. Couldn’t get Elisa here, she didn’t pick up the portal I tossed her way. Probably busy. One of us can talk to her later. Shame she’ll miss this oh-so-important of occasions. Still waiting on the rest of the trio, but they said they’ll only be a couple minutes.” 

She looked Jake over, clearly unimpressed. “So. Him? Really?” 

“Yes, Nova. Really.” There was the slightest hint of an edge to Percy’s voice. 

Nova shrugged. “Alright then. Cool. What have you told him? Does he know who chose him? ‘Cause he’s probably gonna find out next time he looks in a-” 

“I think he knows,” interrupted Percy. 

Jake didn’t. Or he didn’t think he did. Or if he did he didn’t want to face it. He was too afraid of what that could mean. He was so afraid- 

And the world slowed to a stop. No no no no no no _no_. Not again. Jake whirled around, his heart pounding. Percy and Nova were frozen in place. His surroundings were dim, indistinct. Shadows rose and obscured everything, much as they had before, when he- 

He… 

He couldn’t even think about it. It was too much. He couldn’t focus, his memories were swirling. Had that really been HIM wreathed in darkness? Him who- 

A low voice let out a soft chuckle from behind. Jake went still as a statue. He felt cold, colder than he ever had. But he was too scared to shiver. 

Oh no, dear, you won’t get anything done that way. How can you hope to master fear if you won’t even look it in the face? 

Every syllable carried an oppressive force, the world itself shuddering as she spoke. Ever so slowly, Jake turned. 

Darkrai. 

The god of nightmares floated before him, lone teal eye glimmering intently. 

Well now, that’s better. Always look fear in the eyes. Or eye, in my case. You know, this isn’t the first form I’ve had, but it’s certainly been my favorite. It’s so… _wispy_. Perfect for dramatic entrances and exits. 

Jake said nothing. He wanted to run, but he was rooted in place. It was all he could do not to flinch away. 

Well, that’s as far as we’re going to get for now, I suppose. You did face me, that’s a good first step. I’ll turn down the dial a bit. 

And suddenly Jake could think, could breathe. Other emotions rushed in now that fear now longer held all the cards, and first among those was anger. “What did you DO to me? I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I just wanted to protect my friend. But that… that was insane. Why? What am I?” 

You’re my ward, of course. I’m sure dear Percival explained what that means? I’ve never had the pleasure of introducing myself, but Mew complains a great deal about his incessant chatter. I don’t think they really mind, though. 

Despite himself, Jake found himself momentarily amused. “Percival? What kind of a name is- never mind. He explained what, not why.” 

Then I’m sure he will. It might take him a while, but pay attention. He always gets there in the end. 

“…How on earth am I supposed to master fear? What the hell does that even mean? Am I just supposed to be the bravest person in the world? Because that… that isn’t me. I don’t want that to be me. I don’t want _any_ of this, I don’t want to be your _torturer_-” 

The god laughed, forestalling further protests. 

Oh dear, no. Mastering fear doesn’t mean not being afraid. Fear may indeed have the first and final say in the human heart, but in between, it produces a near unlimited range of emotion. Bravery, yes. But fear also begets caution, ingenuity, even joy. To fear is to live, and to live is to fear. Answer me this, Jake DeSantos: what do you fear? 

The god waited as Jake considered the question. 

“…To be alone. To go back to that _cage_ I lived in for seven years. To do nothing, forever.” 

You fear to live a life not lived, then. That’s simple enough. Those feelings will help you access your abilities, until you develop them further and learn new ways of doing so. Rest assured that you don’t have to be, as you put it, my _torturer_. My powers are both vast and flexible, how you wield them is up to you. I will be watching your progress with interest. 

Darkrai paused for a moment. 

Your fear is ebbing quickly. That’s a good thing, but it does limit our time together. Do you have one last question? Make it quick. 

Looking around, Jake could see that color was beginning to seep back into the world. Darkrai’s image was failing, her outline growing indistinct. “Why did you choose me?” 

Darkrai’s entire body rippled with amusement, but for the first time, her gaze dropped from Jake’s. Her rapidly fading voice answered, 

Ask me that again when you’ve won. 

Time resumed without fanfare and Percy and Nova’s attention snapped to Jake. He met their eyes nervously. They knew, didn’t they. 

Percy was the first to speak. “Well. I don’t know what she said, but I know that Darkrai was just here. I’m… I’m sorry. For her to speak to you, you must have been terrified. That means I’m doing a bad job of explaining, and I apologize for that.” 

“Oh give it a rest, P. Kid was gonna be scared no matter what you said or did. Though, for the record, pulling out the pyrotechnics probably wasn’t the best move.” 

“I just thought- ah, you’re probably right. Sorry, again. Nova, could you leave us? _Normally_, please. Jake will need to concentrate.” 

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t scare him too badly. Unless that helps.” She sauntered out. 

“Now, Jake-” 

“You’re going to ask me to do it again, aren’t you.” 

“Yes,” Percy said. “But not now. For now, all I want you to do is relax. I need to talk to the others, and then you’ll meet them. Stay put, please.” 

Jake managed a weak laugh. “As if I have a choice.” 

“Oh, Jake.” Percy’s expression was far away. “You can’t possibly imagine how many choices you have.” 

  


A few minutes after Percy left, Nova wandered back in. She was humming absentmindedly and appeared to be paying no attention to Jake whatsoever. She walked right past him, leaned against the far wall, and closed her eyes. 

Suddenly, Jake started feeling… something. Two somethings, coming from outside. It was like he was standing in a still pond that someone had just dropped two pebbles into, and he was being buffeted ever so gently by the ripples. He was distracted from this by Nova’s sudden movement. In one slick motion, she snatched a Pokeball from her waist- one of six, Jake noticed- and tossed it up into the air with enough force to hit the ceiling far above. And then, Jake sensed her _change_. With her damaged hand, Nova quickly pointed up, then down. The ball vanished into a small circle of wavering air- which caused another, smaller ripple in the pond- only to reappear at her feet. It was still rising with the momentum of her throw. She caught it perfectly. 

She did this again and again at different angles and different speeds. And she didn’t always teleport the ball to her. Once, eyes still screwed shut, she threw it as hard as she could, sending it out one of the windows of the temple. Following another two gestures from her left hand, she reached forward with her right hand into a fuzzy patch of air and retrieved the ball. Each time she did this, Jake could detect it, though never knowing exactly where it was unless he saw the distortion with his eyes. And was it Jake’s imagination, or… 

No, it was unmistakable. It wasn’t nearly as vivid as Shelly’s had been- Jake rocked with the realization that was he was seeing was the _same thing_ as what the Aqua commander had done- but there was a mirage cloaking Nova. It was Palkia. She bore the image of the deity of space, light reflecting off her pearly shoulders, the faintest hint of wings spreading from her back. When she grinned, there was the distinct impression of _tusks_. 

“Nova, quit showing off.” Jake turned around quickly, recognizing that voice. He should have known. 

Sure enough, Minerva Vasilios stood before him. Behind her were Jess Adisa and Nadia Madan. Nadia waved at Jake. 

“Oh get lost, fairy girl,” Nova scoffed, opening her eyes, the illusion of Palkia disappearing. Then she rushed forward and pulled the trio into a quick hug. “Good to see you guys! I heard through the grapevine you beat Roxanne. Nicely done, she gave me some trouble way back when. Damn that Nosepass of hers.” 

This was a very different Nova than Jake had seen earlier. The ward of Palkia had all but sneered at _him_, but she was treating these younger trainers like siblings, or maybe students. Nova was practically glowing as she talked to them, asking them more about their battle with the Leader.

A set of footsteps from the door drew his attention. Percy was back, and he wasn’t alone. At his side was a dark-skinned man in late middle age. He walked with a cane and the kind of extreme caution befitting a much older person. The former he did seem to need, as he avoided putting weight on one leg. The latter seemed a touch exaggerated. In a moment of shrewdness, Jake suspected that he was playing it up. 

Percy cleared his throat, making the chatter between Nova and the trio quiet down. “Alright, everyone’s here that can make it. Jake? These are your fellow wards. They don’t bite. All of you? Meet the ward of Darkrai. He doesn’t bite either, as far as I know.”

  


The seven wards were arranged in a rough circle in the center of the chamber. Nadia on Jake’s right, the man with the cane on his left. Jake wondered why this was necessary. 

Percy stepped forward. “I’ve introduced myself and Nova already, but I will now do so more formally, if you don’t mind.” 

Nadia signed something. Minerva snickered, and Jess elbowed her. Percy ignored them. 

“My name is Percy. Just Percy, if it’s all the same to you. I am the ward of Mew, and like Mew themselves, I am remarkably flexible. I can imitate virtually any Pokemon attack, though the simplest and most powerful tools available to me are teleportation, invisibility, and the formation of psychic barriers. For now, I lead us, with Nova as my right hand. Nova?” 

The young woman was tossing a Pokeball around again, this time without her powers. “Nova König, champion contender and ward of Palkia. Space is my thing. Think I made it pretty clear how it works earlier. It was easier than trying to explain. And before you freak out about it,” she indicated her damaged hand, “this is an old wound. Nothing to do with any of this.” 

Next, the man on Jake’s left tapped his cane on the ground for attention. “Name’s Bernard Emerson, laddie. Got no clue why Groudon wanted an old man for this, but here I am.” He stomped his foot, and the sand scattered around the temple streamed out the entrance. “Percy had me dig out this old place a while back. It weren’t no trouble.” 

Nadia took a while to say what she wanted. Jess didn’t speak for her until she was done. “You know us already, but not as wards. Nadia says as the ward of Mesprit, she can sense and even manipulate emotion in others. And Dia? I’m _not_ relaying that awful pun.” Nadia pouted. 

Giggling, Minerva stepped up. “Ward of Uxie, at your service. It’s kinda hard to explain how my powers work. Like, severely limited mind reading? And I can mess with people’s memory for a short time. I’m not going to demonstrate that second one to you, it’s pretty upsetting. Oh, and I can do more when the three of us work together. We all can. On our own, we can’t do much. All together… well, you’ll see.” She winked. 

Rolling their eyes at their girlfriend, Jess said their bit. “And Azelf rounds out the trio. Ain’t easy to explain what I do either. Throwing dirt around or even warping space is one thing. Detecting and altering the willpower of other people and Pokemon? Not simple. At my weakest, all I get is a vague impression of what someone is currently trying to do. At my strongest, I can make someone lose all motivation to do anything and just lie down. And as Minerva said, we’re much more powerful as a unit.” They turned to Percy. “What about…?” 

“Of course. The ward of Articuno, Elisa Sokolov, couldn’t be here. You’ll meet her another day, Jake. She can manipulate ice and has some control over the weather. Oh, and she can fly. The fairy trio can hover, and I can hold myself in position with psychic force. But she’s the only one of us that can truly fly, now.” 

Jake didn’t like the "now." It had implications. But he was getting to know Percy pretty well, and he figured that Percy would most certainly elaborate on that at some point if someone else didn’t. He sure did seem to like elaborating at any and all possible opportunities. 

Minerva caught his eye and smirked. Jake realized that she must have picked up on that. “Um. Can you not?” 

She raised her hands in supplication. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to pry. I was wondering if you were alright. But all I got was that you were internally dragging Percy for being long-winded, and I’m always down for that.” 

Percy sighed. “Yes, yes, laugh all you like. However, someone has to explain, and there’s a lot of explaining to be done. Now that you’ve met everyone-” 

“Wait.” Jake glared at Minerva. “Were you… reading me back at the Center? Is that how you knew I was one of you?” 

A certain Leader’s lecture from weeks ago ran through his mind as Minerva bit her lip. Jake had the unnerving feeling that while she was looking in Jake’s direction, she wasn’t looking at _him_. “Um, no, actually, it was…” She glanced at Percy. “Are you going to tell him?” 

“Tell me what?” 

“I’ll get to it. For now, it can wait.” 

“Tell me _what_.” 

“Jake, there’s a lot more you need to understand before-” 

“No, I don’t think so.” He was being petulant, he knew. But whatever this was involved him personally, and unlike Percy’s earlier ominous comment, couldn’t wait. 

“…With your permission, then. Minerva can show you.” Percy nodded at the ward of Uxie, the faintest hint of irritation crossing his features. 

“Alright.” 

Minerva Vasilios flashed a bright gold; for a moment, Jake caught sight of a red jewel at the center of her forehead. An image popped into his mind. It was Jake, from Minerva’s perspective. From right this moment. 

Oh. 

His left eye was glowing faintly, teal displacing his natural hazel. The palest echo of Darkrai’s crown trailed behind his head. Wisps of shadow danced around his fingers. As he looked down in horror, he saw them himself. Just for a moment, insubstantial talons flaring into view and out again. 

“Turn it OFF.” 

“That’s just it, Jake,” said Percy. “We can’t, and we’re not sure if you can. The rest of us… it’s like flipping a switch, for the most part. Certainly we don’t bring up even a trace of our Mirageform- that’s what we call it- without meaning to. When it’s off, it’s off. But…” 

Jess stepped in. “We,” they gestured to their partners, “saw you like that from the start. We’re, uh. Pretty insightful, all together. That’s like, half of what we do.” Nadia and Minerva nodded assent, and Jess continued. “Percy didn’t see you when he met you earlier. Shelly probably didn’t either. But now… sorry dude, we can all see it.” 

“And so could Maris,” said Jake in a choked whisper. 

Nova shifted. Jake glanced at her. For the first time, she was looking at him with something that might just be considered sympathy. Then the moment passed, and she shrugged. “Your Lucario? Eh. She’ll get used to it. My Salamence freaked out when I showed her, but she calmed down soon enough. If it helps, I don’t think any Pokemon not bonded to you will see it. They might, like. _Feel_ it, though. That’s how it works for me anyway.” 

Jake found himself calming down, to his surprise. He shot a look at Nadia, but while the silent ward’s face showed concern, there was no indication she was manipulating his emotions. He supposed that, at this point, there wasn’t any more freaked out he could get. “Alright. Alright! Whatever. I’ll look like a god of fear and nightmares to my friends. I’ll deal with it. Just… continue.” 

Percy looked relieved. “Thank you. Now, I need to cover what we’re here to do and why. Let’s sit down. The rest of you can relax, you’ve heard this before. But Jake, I do need you to pay attention. Everyone else, try not to interrupt, please.” 

They got comfortable as best they could on the stone floor. Jake sat cross-legged across from Percy. The trio bunched up, carrying out a private conversation in sign. 

Percy took a moment to get his thoughts in order, then began. “You’ve probably heard of something called the Fall.” 

Jake hesitated, and nodded. He couldn’t recall where he had first heard of it, but he knew that something had happened in the not too distant past. Something global and disastrous. Talking about it seemed almost taboo, so no one did. It just wasn’t done. Hearing it said out loud, Jake almost expected something horrible to befall Percy before he could say another word. 

“I’ll spare you the details, but-“ 

Minerva snorted. “Sparing details? That’s new.” 

Percy gave her a withering look. “SOME people just have no appreciation for a good story. Anyway, the bottom line is that the world as we see it now is not how it has been for most of the past few thousand years. The most important thing for you to understand is that all of nature, all of Life, is a single force. It binds everything together; the plants, the air, the Pokemon, all draw from the same source of power, though the latter to a much greater degree. I spoke of this to you some time ago, when we met on the road. I call this flow of energy the Lifestream. All humans have a small amount of control over the Lifestream, and this skill can be nurtured. That’s what trainers do, though very few consciously understand that. You will even learn to see the Lifestream, in time. Pokemon can wield it to great and often terrifying effect, though they must be careful, as expending too much of their energy at once will lead to them becoming unstable or even fading away. They need the power of Life to exist at all. The only creatures that do not rely on the Lifestream at all are humans, and, being humans, they typically destroy what they do not need. Over many centuries, humans wore down the forces of nature. Not always through direct malice, but carelessness and ignorance? Certainly. It came to a head about four hundred years ago. While they did not cease to exist as nature failed, like many manifestations of the natural world did, humans still felt the effects of their recklessness sorely. They blamed each other, and the resulting conflict quickly annihilated most of the population.” 

Jake’s face must have shown his shock, because Percy nodded gravely. “At the time of the Fall, there were about seven hundred times more people in Hoenn than there are today. This whole region was a merely a portion of a unified state, though what qualifies as a state has changed over time as a result of the reduced population. It’s actually quite fascinating how quickly they adapted to a new environment and redrew municipal lines in what used to be a cohesive region-” 

Bernard cleared his throat. “Percy, please stay on topic. This isn’t the time.” 

“Right. Sorry. Anyway, after the Fall itself, nature began to bounce back, and fast. The first Pokemon emerged around the four-decade mark and began working alongside the humans that remained. Their assistance, and the actions of a few wise people who saw the Fall coming and took steps to ensure humanity’s survival after it, are why we didn’t actually lose much technological progress. It’s all just on a much smaller scale, and for the most part, people seem to be respecting the natural order. Not least, of course, because tampering with a wild Tyranitar’s territory is a good way to get yourself killed. Everything was going smoothly, in fact, until _they_ started waking up.” Jake opened his mouth to ask, but Percy answered without being prompted. “The gods. Or legendaries, as they’ve been called. The personifications of the forces that govern the natural world. They used to guide humanity before the decline of nature put them to sleep. And now they’ve come back. Some of them aren’t too happy to see what happened to the world in their absence, and even less enthused about humanity rebuilding itself. You know the island of Sootopolis?” 

“The city in a crater. I’ve always wanted to see it.” 

“It used to be a mountainous island. The strongest of the gods tried to wipe out humanity shortly after they awoke. Luckily for us, that was all they could manage. A terribly powerful blast, enough to vaporize millions of tons of solid rock. But not nearly enough to destroy the entire surface of the world.” 

Percy serious demeanor broke, and he snickered. “And then, within months, humans had moved in. They were just so enthralled by the gleaming white fortress.” He stopped, apparently needing some time to come to terms with just how funny this was. 

Jake couldn’t really bring himself to see the humor in the situation. “So there’s a god up there that can blow up entire mountains at will, and we’re supposed to do what exactly?” 

Percy snapped back to attention. “Well, ‘up there’ isn’t exactly it. More like ‘all around.’ But don’t worry, they can’t do it again. In fact, the strain put them back to sleep for several decades. As for what we’re supposed to do, well. You see, the gods can’t fight directly. It would be madness. Nature at war with itself would not only destroy humanity, but all life without any hope of recovery. If the god of time is injured or destroyed, time itself would be as well. The legendaries aren’t just representations of their domains, they _are_ their domains. Even the most ruthless of them would never consider it.” 

“So we’re their stand-ins,” interjected Nova. “We’re here to throw down without breaking the planet too badly. We surrender or get defeated, we’re out. Last team standing wins, and all of the gods will fall in line and work together to do whatever the winners want. So basically our job is to kick the shit out of the other wards until they give up. Or do Percy’s crazy plan, I guess. That fuckery with the keys.” 

“By defeated-“ 

“Not killed. We expend all our power in battle against another ward, and we wake up without our abilities or any memory of the conflict,” Percy said, glaring at Nova. “And the situation is a lot more complex than that. There are so many rules we have to abide by in order for all the gods to accept the outcome-” 

“I don’t think Jake is going to try to recruit normal people, or assassinate the other wards in their sleep, or any of the other things we can’t do without some deity throwing a shitfit. You can skip the itemized list. Just smash their faces in. Simple enough.” 

“And, um, keys?” 

Jess groaned. “Please don’t get him started. We lost the ward of Moltres three weeks ago fighting in some underwater cavern Percy insisted was crucial to his plan. We got ambushed by the others, and he burned himself out defending us until Nova could make an escape portal.” They saluted. “Rest in peace, Flamethrower Boy. But seriously, his plan sounds like nonsense to me.” 

“That mission was a success! The chambers were unlocked, and this temple’s guardian wasn’t much of a challenge for us. And Nicholas is fine. I saw him shopping in Slateport two days ago.” 

“Whatever, dude. I hope we don’t need that Relicanth anymore, I released it yesterday. It was honestly the single ugliest thing I’ve ever seen.” 

Nova spoke up. “I’m keeping the Wailord. It took Nyra an hour to bring him down, and he’s actually pretty chill. Plus, he makes visiting home in Pacifidlog way easier.” 

“I still can’t believe you actually named him Earl.” Minerva shook her head. Nova stuck her tongue out at her. 

Suddenly, the ground began to shake. The stone walls of the temple around them shuddered, and the shockwaves forced several of the wards to steady themselves with their hands. Jake fell flat on his back. 

As quickly as they had come, the vibrations stopped. Jake sat back up and looked around wildly. Every other ward looked at Bernard, who was grinning cheekily. He hadn’t budged an inch throughout the earthquake. “Settle down, young’uns. Jake isn’t here to hear you bicker, and I’d like to return to my nap. Back on track, if you don’t mind.” 

Percy looked at the old man with a stern expression. “If the ward of Kyorge was still active, she would have sensed that from the next town over.” 

“Yeah, but she ain’t, so I can do whatever I want. Thanks for that, by the way, kid,” he said, addressing Jake. “By all rights that shoulda been my fight, but I’m glad to be free of it. Frankly, that lass scared the daylight outta me. Now, Percy, take the reins. Get through this so we can all be on our way, how about it?” 

The ward of Mew did just that, plowing on ahead. “The wards of Rayquaza, Dialga, Celebi, Zapdos, Suicune, Entei, and Raikou are our enemies. The ward of Rayquaza also commands a powerful Pokemon asset, a twisted copy of Mew capable of matching our strength. We learned that only recently. It was a nasty shock that cost us the ward of Moltres. Before yesterday, the ward of Kyorge was also among their number. You took her out of the equation, as Bernard mentioned. That’ll help even things out.” 

“Wait. What about Giratina? Lugia? Ho-oh? Arceus?” 

“Giratina hasn’t chosen yet. Neither a side, nor a ward. Lugia and Ho-oh are deities of peace, they are incapable of committing themselves to a conflict. As for Arceus, while they oppose us, they cannot have a ward. No human could possibly handle that kind of power. The ward of Rayquaza can barely control his abilities, and the thousand-armed creator is on a completely different level than the lord of the sky.” 

“Wait. Wait, wait, wait. The strongest of the gods, the one that blasted Sootopolis… We’re trying to _fight Arceus?_"

“Let me ask you something, Jake. Who told you about the gods?” 

“I… I don’t…” Jake’s face went slack, and then paled. “_I don’t know._” 

“Exactly. They’ve implanted themselves back into our collective consciousness. We all _just know_ that Arceus is the creator, Darkrai embodies fear, Groudon controls the land, Lugia and Ho-oh keep the peace, et cetera. Once they woke up, they had always been awake, and we remembered them.” 

“Eh, Percy, may want to lay off the kid with the heavy stuff for now. Y’know. Ease him into it?” Nova was looking back and forth between the two wards. 

“Of course. Sorry. We’ll discuss this at some other time, Jake.” 

“Um. Not soon, please.” 

Somehow, Percy wasn’t done, and after a quick moment to think he resumed. “It’s worth noting that our Pokemon cannot aid us, as it’s very dangerous for them to be around while we’re active. The more power we call upon the more we risk them dissolving into the swell in the Lifestream. So keep your Pokemon safely in their balls while battling or doing anything strenuous. Low level abilities and power outputs are fine, as long as they don’t last too long.” 

“Now, as for the battles themselves. There have been a few skirmishes over the past few months as the wards began to gather, but nothing big until recently. Before anyone else was chosen, I fought the ward of Rayquaza one on one eleven times, and every time we ended up in a stalemate. Neither of us can overpower the other. Not alone. You’d think mass ambush would be the only practical method of defeating other wards, but-” 

Nova cut in. “Good luck ambushing them with the ward of Dialga on their side. He’ll sense himself battling somewhere else, go about gathering his teammates as slow or fast as he damn well pleases, and drop them and himself right into the battle from the future, which tips off his past self in the first place. Or so he told me the first time we fought.” She made a face. “He is. The _worst_.” 

“Thanks to Nova, though, they can’t pin us down either,” Minerva interjected. “She can get us anywhere, anytime, and all we have to do is turn up the heat with our powers to get her attention. Shortly after we found you, she sensed Nadia, Jess, and me signaling for her all the way from Mossdeep. Girl’s wild.” She raised her hand expectantly. 

The ward of Palkia opened a portal and gave her a high five from across the room. Nadia and Jess rolled their eyes, and Percy took the opportunity to resume speaking. “And besides, the gods wouldn’t like it much if the battles to determine the fate of the world were all completely one-sided. They interfere in subtle ways to ensure this isn’t the case. Mew had a hard time explaining it to me, it’s a concept that requires the kind of worldview only a deity could have. It’s not that the battles are required to be _fair_, exactly. There are no actual rules forbidding us from wiping out isolated wards with overwhelming odds if we find a way to do so. But Mew said that no matter what we do, things are set up to be… _interesting_.” 

Jake didn’t like that one bit, and Bernard let out a hearty chuckle when he saw the new ward’s expression. “Yeah, that’s how I felt about it too when Percy said the same thing to me a year ago. If ol’ Groudon ever gets around to talking to me face to face, I’m gonna give the bugger a piece of my mind. _Interesting_. Bah. Things are already too interesting for this old man as it is.” 

“That reminds me. We’re almost done here, but there’s one last thing you should be aware of. You probably won’t hear from Darkrai again. As deities, there are a number of restrictions on the direct actions they can take, and more than that, they think completely differently. It’s difficult for them to speak with us directly. How would you communicate with a being operating under a completely different set of rules?” 

Nadia snapped her fingers for attention and made a few quick signs in Percy’s direction. She grinned. Percy, for his part, was unamused. 

“Very funny. Disregarding the brevity, or lack thereof, of one’s intended message, how would you propose to talk to Time? Converse with Space? Sit down and have tea and crumpets with the embodiment of Fear itself? For the most part, they can’t speak to us but in extreme circumstances, either when we are in a state where we can comprehend their view of reality or when they are viewing the world through us. Don’t expect a pep talk from them before every fight.” 

Nadia once again made a series of gestures. This time it didn’t seem to be a joke. 

“Well, it’s not that I’m a special case. It’s Mew that’s the exception. They are unusually adaptable and are capable of meeting us on our level. So yes, we talk sometimes. However, they can only say so much, and they cannot interfere in any real way.” 

Percy turned towards Jake again. “I may as well tell you. That Lucario with me when I met you on the road to Verdanturf was Mew in disguise. Your partner figured it out, but they asked her to remain silent on the matter. Please do not blame her for doing so, Pokemon instinctively revere Mew as their ancestor.” 

Jake felt a spark of indignation at the idea that he would blame Maris for such a thing, and found his voice for the first time in some minutes. “Of… of course not.” 

There was a long pause. “So. What exactly do we _do_?” Jake asked. 

“Well, for the past three weeks, we’ve been trying to avoid the other wards. Losing the ward of Moltres tipped the scales in their favor, but you’ve singlehandedly turned the tables both by just showing up and taking down Shelly. If one of us encounters one of them and decides that engaging is worth the risk, Nova will bring us together. But we have to be careful. Even now, if they spring the ward of Giratina on us… things could get very bad, very fast.” 

“What can they do? Or uh. What _will_ they be able to do?” 

Nova perked up and started paying close attention. Percy didn’t seem to notice. “It’s difficult to explain, but think of it like this. Each action must have an equal and opposite reaction. That includes time and space. As time goes forward and space expands, a separate dimension balances out the difference. Negative time, negative space. Don’t think about it too hard. Simply understand that the ward of Giratina will be one of the most dangerous wards by far, able to counter anything the Palkia and Dialga wards do. All three working together would be virtually unstoppable. We are quite lucky that Nova is already here with us, so we need not worry about facing all three. Be warned, however, that if Giratina’s ward is our enemy, we will no longer be able to rely on Nova’s power as we have been. Her abilities will be swept away like footprints on a beach, or worse, used against us.” 

“You hadn’t told _me_ that,” Nova accused Percy. “I’d asked, too.” 

The ward of Mew met her heated gaze evenly. “Would you really have accepted that answer? That if the ward of Giratina shows up, you will be helpless? If that happens, Jake will be our best defense. He needed to know.” 

_“Helpless?”_

“Nova, please.” 

“Fine.” She huffed and turned away. Percy returned his attention to Jake. 

“One final thing, and this time I do mean that.” He stood up. Already guessing what Percy was going to say next, Jake did too. The other wards followed, the trio breaking off their conversation and Bernard manipulating the stone floor to help him stand with minimal effort. Nova scrambled to her feet last, having been staring into… well, probably not space. Jake didn’t think her powers reached that far. If they did, she would have shown it off. 

“Do you think you can summon your Mirageform, Jake? The proper one, I mean. It’ll be alright, you’ll be able to handle it this time. You have nothing to fear from us.” 

Jake grimaced. “It might be easier if I did.” 

He took a deep breath and focused, screwing his eyes shut and remembering what Darkrai had said. _To live a life not lived._ It would have been so easy, he knew. To just slip into the faceless horde of Aqua, to follow orders, to not have to think about the pain he was in. Under his brother’s wing, who knows what he might have done. Could have done. Would have done… but he most certainly would never have lived. And in that narrowly dodged future was a terror he could not comprehend. But he could _control_ it. 

Jake opened his eyes, and found that in fact, he had only opened one eye. The other saw nothing… or no, not nothing. There were swirling shapes he couldn’t quite identify. It was dark, but there were hints of an intense brightness hiding just out of sight. His proper vision was tinged teal, but sight didn’t matter, because he could feel his surroundings in their entirety. Darkness gets everywhere, in every hidden corner, in between every photon. It’s said that light is the fastest thing in existence, but how could that be, if it always finds darkness waiting for it when it arrives? 

He was in every shadow, but he was also standing right here, facing the other wards. He didn’t need Minerva to show him what he looked like, he knew. He could sense every detail. One by one, all the rest called up their Mirageforms, until the temple hummed with power and the light streaming in through the windows was diffused into countless colors by the shimmering display. 

Percy bore catlike ears, the ghost of a thin pink tail twitching behind him. Nova’s features could barely be seen under Palkia’s, ridged forehead and tusks forming a concealing helmet, her body clad in rigid pale armor. Bernard was hunched forward a bit, black lines etching geometric patterns into the imposing red figure. The trio of fairies, hands clasped together, were hovering just above the ground. Blue, pink, and gold, all bearing a crimson gem on their brow. 

Welcome, ward of Darkrai. 

  


Far away, over an island only four other creatures would have recognized from this height… 

The ward of Rayquaza, despite having dominion over the sky, was not aware of all that occurs under it. But wind travels far, and it whispered to him sometimes. Today, it had important news. 

_Welcome, ward of Darkrai._

A twisted smile grew on the face of a man hovering kilometers in the air, encased in the iridescent green aura of the almighty draconic deity. 

At last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <strike>My</strike> Percy’s fondness for explaining things and telling stories is highly convenient. It really does make exposition so much easier.
> 
> Also. Today, August 1st, 2019, due to a series of Google searches related to a joke in the TAZ Amnesty episode which has just come out, I learned that the Lifestream is a thing in Final Fantasy VII. I came up with the name six months ago. I knew it wasn’t particularly original, but I didn’t expect it to be a thing in one of the most hyped up video games of all time. (At least, FFVII seems to be that from my outside perspective.) That said, I’m not changing it despite the weeks I have to do so before this chapter goes up. Just wanted to forestall anyone telling me that.
> 
> Smirk Count: 2


	11. A New Normal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme: [Crystalanthemums](https://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/crystalanthemums-2)

Jake had been returned, at his request, to just outside Lavaridge. He quickly found himself somewhere isolated off the path leading to Jagged Pass, and stared at Maris’s ball in his hand. 

What the hell was he going to say? Would she even trust him? He looked like _Darkrai._ Not exactly the most welcome of company. And if he wasn’t careful with his powers, he could even hurt her. Or… worse. 

There was nothing for it. He would rather she abandon him for what he had become than leave her trapped away in her ball forever. Besides, Jake suspected that she could get out herself if she really wanted to. 

The ward of Darkrai took a few minutes to get his thoughts in order and did his best to ensure that he wasn’t using his powers subconsciously. Then, he called Maris out. 

The Lucario materialized. When she saw him, there was that brief wave of fear- and then she leaped at him and hugged him. She was shockingly heavy for her still fairly small size, and Jake staggered under the weight. Relief spread through him. She wasn’t mad. 

Maris pulled away, and then glared at him, her green eyes flashing. 

What the hell did you get yourself into? 

Okay, maybe she was a little mad. Jake’s mind went blank, his prepared explanation gone. 

Are you in danger? 

“Um…” Oh, right. He couldn’t lie at all, could he. 

Sensing even that, Maris narrowed her eyes. 

No, you can’t. Tell me everything, Jake. 

And Jake did, slowly but surely, stuttering at first but picking up steam as he went. Maris listened intently. He was no Percy, the story wandering and being told hopelessly out of order, but eventually he’d run out of things to say. 

When she realized he was done, Maris looked at him incredulously. 

That’s it? That’s everything you talked about? 

“…Yes?” 

So you didn’t _tell them?_

“Tell them what?” 

Jake. 

She sounded amazed and exasperated. Jake racked his brains, trying to figure out what he’d forgotten. Maris gave him a few moments before bringing a paw to her face in disbelief. 

We saw the ward of Rayquaza, you dolt. 

Oh. Oh, _fuck._

  


Why hadn’t Nova just given him her Nav info? He wouldn’t have to do any of this, and he wouldn’t be stuck in this stupid argument. 

I want to see. 

“For the last time, no.” 

Yes. 

“No!” 

Yes. 

“Maris, Percy said… he said you could _dissolve_ if you’re near me when I use my powers. I’m not risking it.” 

The moment I feel something wrong I’ll hide in the ball. Give it to me. 

Jake clutched it tighter. “No. It’s too risky.” 

Jake, I’ll take it from you. You know I can. Unless you use your powers to stop me, of course. 

_“Dammit.”_

Ha. 

“Fine.” He tossed it to her, and she caught it effortlessly. “You stand back. _Very far_ back.” 

That, at least, she did, retreating into the brush and peeking around a tree. He tried to shoo her even further away, but she didn’t budge. One look was enough to communicate clearly that if he didn’t stop with that, there would be problems later. Jake took the hint, and instead concentrated on… what was he doing, exactly? 

Minerva had said that they got Nova’s attention by… _turning up the heat_ with their powers. Jake didn’t think that meant literal pyrokinesis, as from his understanding only Percy could do that now. Or maybe Bernard too? He hadn’t said. 

He shook his head. This was nonsense. Focus. 

I’m waiting. 

The Lucario was cocking her head at him. It’s not like she didn’t believe him, he knew. He couldn't possibly have lied, and she could literally see traces of Darkrai’s features superimposed on his face. She was just being… Maris. 

“Quit it.” 

You’re no fun. 

“I’m a fucking _demigod of fear._ I don’t have to be fun.” 

This is stupid. Do it already. 

“Fine.” 

It wasn’t like trying to remember something, or exerting willpower to accomplish a difficult task. Instead, Jake found that it was more like knocking down a wall, a wall he was very familiar with. It was the one he’d built to protect himself in order to not spend every moment shaking with fear. Of Aqua, of his brother, of what he had almost become. But instead of the panic that he had once expected would follow if this happened, it was a kind of wary, watchful control, and that control began to spread outside of his own mind and into his surroundings. In no time at all, he was cloaked in Darkrai’s image. 

Maris watched as the afternoon shadows deepened. To her, it felt pretty much like facing another Pokemon in combat. She’d had the same sense of energy building up nearby when, say, that Gyarados had been charging a Hyper Beam. But instead of relying on the power naturally gifted to a Pokemon, Jake was pulling in everything the world around him had to offer. The scraggly forest under the mountain became darker, yes, but also less… forest-ish. The trees lost their mystique and became mere lumps of carbon. The stony outcroppings looked, well, like stone, instead of evidence of ancient and ongoing geological processes generated by a living planet. 

The _Life_ was seeping out of the world, gravitating to Jake, who was having a hard time keeping it in check. 

It had been easier in the temple. Shrine. Thing. Whatever it was, it had felt… charged with power? Strong enough that Pokemon couldn’t get near it, but wards found it comfortable. Jake was struggling to control the Lifestream with the same ease as before, though _starting_ the transformation had been much simpler now that he knew what internal buttons to press. He thought of the other wards, flickering their Mirages off and on at a whim. He wondered how long they’d been at it. This seemed like something he should have remembered to ask. 

Carefully, he let his awareness grow in a sphere around him. Shadows followed it. As before, his body faded and grew inconsistent to the point where even he wasn’t sure if he was still in the same place he’d started. It would take but the merest thought to fade away from where he was now and reappear anywhere else in the sphere… or maybe not reappear at all, if he didn’t need to. The idea alarmed him. 

There was a Zigzagoon nest under a tree nearby. Its inhabitants scurried away just as soon as Jake detected them, fleeing the onrushing wave of shadows. One brushed right past Maris, squeaking in alarm at the larger Pokemon. She paid it no mind, her attention on Jake’s increasingly vague form.

Oh, sorry- 

His voice. That wasn’t _his_ voice, not exactly. And he hadn’t heard it, it hadn’t come through his ears. The words had insinuated themselves into reality. His startled apology to the wild Pokemon had sounded as final and certain as the lettering on a gravestone.

I don’t like this very much, 

he muttered. Or tried to. This voice didn’t lend itself to muttering. His speech _forced_ its way to the front of his awareness, refusing to be taken lightly. It became real, irrevocable, absolute. Fortunately, it already was. He _didn’t_ like this very much. 

Jake liked it even less when he realized he was encroaching upon the location where Maris stood watching. He tried to pull back, but it was too late. He made contact. For just a second, she blurred- and then, instead of retreating to her ball, she was covered by a green sphere. He could see the Lucario wave at him, her image distorted through her shield. 

Huh. Jake wouldn’t have thought of trying that, but it seemed to be working. As long as Maris held her Protect, she was safe. He didn’t know how long she’d be able to, and of course he couldn’t sense anything from her now. It seemed to work just as well on his Darkrai-given absolute knowledge of his surroundings as on their relatively mundane mental link. He didn’t dare push at the barrier to see if he could break it. 

Within his sphere of influence, there was a tiny disturbance. Somewhere a little above him, to his left. Something was trying to nudge his powers aside. He felt like if he tried, he could deny it access, but Jake had a pretty good idea what this was. 

Sure enough, he heard Nova’s voice moments later. Her proper voice. 

“Everything good, new kid? Just practicing, or do you need something?”

Nothing urgent, but there’s something I think Percy needs to know. Can you come to me, or should I…? 

“I’m just making a small portal to talk through. Not going to waste the energy getting myself over there if it’s not important. Say whatever you need to. And you can stop whatever the hell you’re doing, I’ve got a lock on you now.” 

Sure enough, there was a small patch of shimmering air through which her voice was coming. Jake made an effort to relax, and his Mirageform vanished. Color flooded back into his surroundings. Maris dropped her Protect, looking relieved. When Jake spoke, the traces of what he now realized was Darkrai’s voice were gone. “I completely forgot about it, but as bizarre as it seems, my Latias encountered what must have been the ward of Rayquaza. Probably that copy of Mew, too. She showed me her memory of it some time ago.” 

“Where were- wait, you have a fucking Latias? _How?_ I’ve never even seen- ugh, hang on. I want to talk to her. Give me a bit to find somewhere secluded.” 

Half a minute later, the field of translucent air lowered and expanded. Nova König stepped through, closing it behind her. She nodded stiffly at Jake, and then the champion contender directed her full attention to the ball he was holding. Her expression was a mixture of excitement and irritation. 

When the dragon solidified out of the usual blue-white light, she looked at Jake and instantly froze. _Shit,_ Jake thought. He had forgotten she’d see… that. He opened his mouth to speak, but she unfroze and lifted a claw, forestalling him. 

Let me guess. A bunch of humans have gotten hold of the deities’ powers somehow or another. That man from the island was one, and you’re another. But there are at least two opposing sides, considering I don’t think you’d join any group he was a part of. How close am I? 

“That’s basically it, really. How did you…?” 

I’m smart and I pay attention. How have you not figured this out yet? I’ll get the details later. Anyway, that explains the strange feeling I was getting from you. Interesting. Latios and Latias were once minor deities, you know. They gave that up and became a normal species of Pokemon. I wonder sometimes if the originals are still out there. 

“I’m sure whatever you’re saying is fascinating and all,” Nova interrupted, “but can you show me what you showed him?” She paused, suddenly reddening when Larka turned to face her. “Um. Please?” 

Larka hesitated, looking to her trainer. 

“She’s one of us-” 

I know _that._

“-and you can trust her. Just show her the attack of the Rayquaza ward. No need to narrate. I think she’ll know more about what’s happening than you.” 

Ward, is it? That’s a tad heavy-handed. 

Without further commentary, her eyes began to glow brightly. Jake watched with interest, having never seen it from the outside. Nova’s irises were also shining a faint orange over their usual brown as Larka showed her the memory. 

He could tell when she reached the part where Reyna was destroyed. She flinched, and as she kept watching, her one complete hand clenched so tightly that when she finally relaxed there were red nail marks in her palm. Blinking, the orange seeping away, she stared into the distance and whispered, “I am going to _tear him apart._” 

“Nova?” 

She shook her head and then, to Jake’s shock, reached up to pat Larka. To Jake’s even greater astonishment, Larka _let_ her, cooing softly as Nova gave her a scratch behind the head. 

The ward of Palkia glanced at the stunned ward of Darkrai and, for the first time while talking to him, a smile crept onto her face. 

“All dragons are the same.” Then she remembered herself, and the smile vanished, replaced with her usual glacial expression. She withdrew her hand, to Larka’s visible disappointment. “Yeah. That was the ward of Rayquaza. His name, bizarrely enough, is Raymond. It could be coincidence, or Rayquaza could just be very stupid. Anyway. I’ll need to find Percy to let him know about this. In the future, please do try to remember to tell us _obviously critical information._ Bye, Jake. Summon me if you _recall_ anything else, I guess.” 

“Wait. Can’t I just have your Nav info?” 

She tensed and glared at him. “No. The Nav system may be secure from the Teams, but we can’t be certain one of the other wards isn’t capable of manipulating it somehow. Two of them do have electrical powers, after all.” 

She was looking at him like Maris had looked at that Silcoon all those weeks ago. That exact same cold, helpless fury. He tried to protest that he had just been trying to be sensible. Instead he heard himself say, “But the trio have your number.” 

Jake hadn’t been certain of that, but earlier he’d remembered about the younger trainers’ offer to put him in contact with a contender and connected the dots. It appeared he was right. Nova’s expression was rapidly approaching absolute zero. “I knew them before all this. Also, I. You know. Actually like talking to them.” 

Ouch. 

She turned away, donned her Mirageform (which Jake was pretty sure was unnecessary for the task), and opened a portal. Just before she stepped through, she faced Maris, pointedly ignoring Jake. 

I’m… sorry for your loss. 

Then she took a step forward and vanished, closing the portal behind her. Maris regarded the empty air where she’d been for some time. 

She does not like you. 

“Yeah. I figured that out.” 

Why? 

“I have no fucking idea.” 

I know why. 

“Really?” 

But I don’t think telling you would do any good. 

“Oh. Thanks. Real helpful, Larka.” 

You’re welcome. 

  


Larka had returned to her ball, and Jake had decided to put off dealing with Katrina and Pallas for now. The human and the Lucario were wandering, exploring the foothills of Mt. Chimney at a whim. It would be best if this conversation wasn’t overheard, even if passerby wouldn’t be able to hear all of it. 

You said Percy, the one we met on the road with Mew, is the leader? 

“Yes?” 

You can’t assume everything he said was the truth. 

Jake stared. “Why not?” 

Because he might have been lying when we met him. 

“Wait. Might? But you-” 

Exactly. I couldn’t sense anything from him at all. He was a blank. It was like he didn’t exist. 

This took a moment to process. “Okay… that’s spooky. Why didn’t you say something then?” 

I didn’t know what to make of it. And then _they_ appeared. I was… distracted. I forgot. 

“Does Mew really mean that much to you? Percy said something about Pokemon instinctively revering them.” 

Maris looked almost offended. 

Mean that much? Jake, they’re the _first_. The original Pokemon. In a way, we are all Mew, taking on different forms. I can’t explain it. I suppose it is instinct. I just… know. 

“But that doesn’t extend to Percy, who Mew clearly trusted?” 

If I couldn’t sense anything from him, how do I know Mew could? They’re not omnipotent, Jake. Nearly, but not quite. They’re only as strong as any Pokemon has the potential to be. 

“And you ‘just know’ that too?” 

Yes. 

“Oh.” Jake thought this over. “I guess that tracks.” 

Yes. 

“I hope I didn’t upset you or…” He trailed off. Maris seemed to snap out of her thoughts. 

No, no. Of course not. 

“Maris? With everything that’s happened, I almost forgot… you _evolved!_” 

Yes. 

There was no pride in the statement, or excitement, like he’d expected. Jake frowned. Was something wrong? 

“How does it… feel?” 

What? 

“Evolving. Having evolved. Whatever.” 

Weird. 

“Oh. Um. Sorry, I was just curious.” 

No. Give me a moment. I don’t know how to say this. 

They walked in silence for some time. When Maris spoke, it was accompanied by the hint of a whine in her throat. 

Jake, I didn’t want to evolve. 

“Oh. Oh _no_, I’m so sorry-” 

No! No. Don’t apologize. It was necessary, and it was my choice. The truth is, Jake, I could have evolved much earlier. I first felt it during our time in Petalburg Forest. But… I liked being small. I liked being able to clamber up onto your shoulder. I liked being able to jump from tree to tree. 

She leapt into the air and clung to a branch, bracing herself against the trunk. She looked sadly at the tangle of greenery above her, which once she could have navigated with ease. 

This just isn’t the same. I liked who I was. 

“Maris…” 

But you know what, Jake? I think I’ll learn to like who I am now, too. I always thought evolving would crowd my head with too many thoughts, that I would lose the simplicity that made me… me. But I’m still me. I just think a little differently now. And you know what else I am? 

She let go of the branch, plummeting towards the ground. In midair she formed a short blade with her aura- far more quickly than she had against the Gyarados- and stabbed it into the ground as she landed. 

The shockwave nearly knocked Jake over, even though Maris had aimed the blow away from him. Dirt and leaves exploded into the air. When it cleared, Jake saw the Lucario standing before a sizable crater. She grinned wolfishly. 

I’m much, _much_ stronger. 

  


It was getting dark. They’d have to either make camp or head to Lavaridge’s Center soon. But there was still more Jake wanted to ask, even though they’d been talking for hours. 

“So how does that thing you do with Aura Sphere work? Mew showed you that you could shape it, but not how to do _that._” 

It took me a while to figure it out. You saw my first attempt at controlling it. 

“Yes. Yes I did.” 

Maris elbowed him. 

The reason it backfired that time was because my energy was still flowing into the orb. So when it detonated, the shock traveled back through and hit me. 

“Ouch.” 

I often practiced while you were asleep, you know. I was hoping to surprise you one day. 

“You definitely did that.” She let out a bark of laughter. It was deeper than it had been as a Riolu. 

Turns out, there’s a workaround. I asked Larka to show me memories of Reyna sparring, and I noticed that she always seemed to relax the instant before an attack landed. After that, a few hours of experimenting were all I needed. Basically, I cut the connection at the last second. That’s how she fought, using them as controlled explosions accompanying direct blows. 

“Then how do you maintain the… blades? That’s what I’ve been thinking of them as. Did you have a name for them?” 

Not really. Blades will do. I’ll admit, before I evolved, I didn’t have enough stamina to maintain them for long. I had the concept down, though. I keep the energy flowing until the moment of the impact, then quickly restore it before the aura disperses. I’d never managed more than three cycles as a Riolu, but now it’s easy. 

“Maris? That’s really fucking cool.” 

Thank you. I think so too. 

“Reyna and Briar would be proud of you.” The Lucario stopped in her tracks. 

“Wait, sorry, was that-” 

No. No, that… thanks, Jake. 

He could feel the happiness radiating from her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very talking-centric chapter. Again. There really just wasn’t narrative space for a significant action component with everything I wanted to cover. That’ll be remedied soon enough. I do rather like a lot of this dialogue, though. Also, it’s nice to not have to italicize all of Maris’s lines anymore. That shit was stressful. Pro tip: don’t fuck up with the end statements in html. Bad things happen when you do.  
  
I considered making the wards’ speech when transformed a different font, or Pratchett-style small capital letters, to help distinguish from when Pokemon talk. But then I decided that it was entirely too much bother and honestly I already spend way too much time formatting as it is. Maybe after I’m done I’ll go back through and make things fancier.


	12. Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme: [Welcome to the New Extreme](https://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/welcome-to-the-new-extreme-2)

Jake felt kind of guilty. 

If he’d known just how much being a ward had increased his ability to handle the Life energy his Pokemon wielded through him, he would have delayed challenging Flannery so as to not draw attention. Or break the poor woman’s spirits. Apparently, she had only taken the role of Leader a few weeks ago, and wasn’t, in the scheme of things, much older than Jake. She did everything right, he was sure. To an ordinary second-level challenger, her Numel, Quilava, and Magmar would have been a difficult, if not insurmountable, challenge. 

Maris had wiped out all three in about two minutes. It wasn’t even remotely fair. She’d only even bothered to shield one of the Magmar’s attacks. The rest she’d ignored despite the disadvantage, going virtually unscathed. Flannery hadn’t known what to make of it. He’d… _sensed_ that, that she was afraid that she was going to be laughed at, that she’d be considered a failure. Knowing that had made him deeply uncomfortable. He still couldn’t seem to shut down Darkrai’s influence entirely, despite his repeated efforts otherwise. There were always shadows dancing somewhere in the corner of his eye. 

She’d shrugged off his stuttering apology, but she was definitely a little upset. He wished he could explain. But while he didn’t know the rules exactly- thanks, Nova- he was pretty sure he wasn’t supposed to do that. Jake just accepted her congratulations as graciously as he could and slipped out of town. 

He’d liked Lavaridge, and stayed in the area for a week before getting around to dealing with the Leader. It felt familiar. Then again, he had lived not too far from here, once upon a time. The first time he’d looked up to see Mt. Chimney looming- two weeks and a lifetime ago- there’d been a rush of comforting familiarity. It wasn’t quite the right view, but close. He’d figure out what the right view was as best he could, if only for curiosity’s sake. 

For now… there was nothing to do, and Jake didn’t want to make Watson suspicious by defeating him right away. The man had proved himself to be more observant than he probably wanted people to think. Flannery had suggested Meteor Falls, claiming that mid-tier trainers liked to gather there, in the same way that Petalburg Forest was a place for the ones new to the champion’s path. 

“Mid-tier, huh,” he said out loud. An amused chirping noise emanating from a patch of slightly fuzzy air- after the incident with Magma, Jake always had either the Lucario or the Latias on guard- made him turn and look at where he knew Larka was hovering. 

Whatever you are, Jake, whatever happened to you, it let me access much of the power I’d lost. Not all of it, but far more than I should be able to with you having such little experience. I think that’s cheating. 

“Maybe. But most trainers don’t have to work on forestalling the apocalypse on the side, I’m pretty sure. Fair’s fair.” Joking about it made it less real, less scary, less overwhelming. He wondered where he’d gotten the habit, or if it was an old one he’d forgotten. So much was still foggy… 

No matter. Meteor Falls it was, but there was no way he’d go anywhere near Jagged Pass now, even if Magma didn’t really pose a threat anymore. Or, for that matter, neither did Aqua, Jake realized with a shock. 

…Unless Magma had a ward like Aqua once had. Or Aqua had a _second_ ward. Jake decided not to think about that. 

If not Jagged Pass, then the desert. He set off heading east. 

  


Another thing he’d noticed since awakening to his abilities was that he was even more resistant to the elements. Though, had he ever really been _naturally_ uncaring of physical hardship, or was it the traces of Darkrai’s constitution even then? The idea didn't sit well with him. 

The desert trail wasn’t well kept, but it was defined. He wouldn’t get lost. There was no one around. So, keeping a careful eye on Pallas soaring above and giving Maris the heads up, he focused- 

And the small bursts of windblown sand stopped pelting his body, and instead slipped right through him. 

Jake examined himself. He just looked… normal. Or, normal, _if_ he had been standing in the shade. There was a pall across his skin, the bright light of the desert sun failing to reach him. His feet were on solid ground, at least, but he felt like if he didn’t want that to be the case, it didn’t have to be. He was like a ghost. Or, he was real, and everything else was the illusion. 

From above, he heard an alarmed squawk. Pallas was circling, spiraling slowly downwards and glaring down at his trainer with his feathers fluffed up. The Taillow was a bit… simple, and couldn’t really understand what Jake had been trying to explain. Thankfully, he never remembered the times when he was scared for very long. 

Relenting for his Pokemon’s sake, Jake forced himself to fade back out of the shadows, sand brushing against him once again. He concentrated on remaining solid, trying for the thousandth time to wipe out the traces of Darkrai that never went away. And this time… it actually seemed to work. Maybe it was the bright sunlight, or just the result of practice and effort, but he felt himself relax completely for the first time in days. He hadn’t realized how different it felt. He was _normal._ And then, of course, he slipped. 

It happened very quickly. The sand his right foot had stepped into gave way, a thin crust breaking, and immediately something latched onto his leg and tore into it. The following seconds were a blur of pain. His vision refocused to find himself lying back on the path with Maris leaning over him and Pallas attacking… 

There was a Trapinch on him, its jaws clamped tightly around his lower leg. It didn’t seem to be responding to the Taillow’s furious pecking, and each time the bird hit it, it only caused another jolt of pain. Blood was staining the sand, though not in dangerous amounts. Yet. 

“Pallas, _stop._” Whether he understood the words or just got the meaning was unclear as ever, but the bird ceased. Carefully, Jake reached down and attempted to pry open the Pokemon’s jaws. They wouldn’t budge, only digging in deeper as they shifted, and he fell back. Maris nudged him gently. 

Can’t you just… do _that_ again? 

Jake tried, but after a few seconds he gave up. “I can’t,” he panted. “I think I actually managed to power down entirely, and now I can’t- OW- concentrate enough.” 

To his irritation, Maris seemed amused. 

Some demigod. The mighty ward of Darkrai, defeated by a Trapinch! 

“In a lot of pain, here. Solutions would be preferred over mockery.” 

Here. 

She retrieved an empty Pokeball from his pack and tossed it to him. 

Just catch it. 

“…Oh.” Not for the first time, Jake wondered if Pokemon could be wards. Maris would probably make a better one than him. 

Moments later, the tiny orange Pokemon turned into light and vanished into its new container. Now that he was paying attention, it was easy to detect that a new link had just been forged between him and it. A thread of Life tied him and his attacker together. Hopefully, it would respect that when he let it out. He wouldn’t do that until he was out of the desert. And, preferably, with his powers at the ready. 

“I guess I have a Trapinch now.” Taking a moment to tie a spare shirt around his wounds, he stood up with assistance from Maris. It hurt, but he didn’t think it was serious, and he could walk. So until he could find a shaded spot to rest, that was what he did. 

  


Not twenty minutes later, Jake felt that now-familiar tug in his gut. Sure enough, there was a portal opening in front of him. Nova was calling him, something was about to happen. He withdrew the Taillow who had made an inquisitive beeline for the distortion, but when he went to do the same to Maris, she grabbed his wrist. 

Let me stay. For as long as I can. 

“Do you think going through will harm you?” 

No. And if it does, I know how to stabilize myself. 

“Fine. But the first sign of real trouble, you’re going in your ball.” 

Blocking out the throbbing from his leg, he let himself grow tense. The light dimmed. Adhering to the laws of physics once again became an option. Trailing shadow, and trailed by a watchful Lucario, he slipped through the tear in space and left the dunes behind. 

He found himself in a very different environment. A copse of trees next to a wide river. He didn’t recognize it. 

Nova was waiting for him. “Hope you’re ready. A time distortion, the usual sign of the other wards’ retreat, flared up two minutes ago in the direction the trio are heading. They’re about to be ambushed. Or it could be a chance encounter. Hard to say. Either way, we have to back them up.” 

“Can’t you warn them? Get them out?” 

“And cause a paradox? I can fight Dialga’s ward. I can’t fight _Dialga._” Jake wasn’t sure whether it was that fact itself or having to explain it that bothered her more. “Now shoo, kid. I need to concentrate on finding the others. And why the hell is your Lucario here? Put her away.” 

I’ll go when I need to, ward of Palkia. 

Eyes rolling, Nova turned away. From behind Jake came an unfamiliar voice. 

“What happened to _you?_” __

_ __ _

The speaker was a small, sharp-eyed woman with a bag slung over her shoulder. She set it down and started rummaging through it. “Lie down,” she snapped. “I can get that cleaned up if you give me a moment.” 

She was indicating Jake’s leg, which was still oozing blood from the bite. “Oh. Thanks. Are you…?” 

The question was allowed to trail into nothing before she responded, already seeing to the wound. Jake winced at the sting of whatever she was putting on it. “These markings… Trapinch bite? Well, you know what to look out for now. Their sand pits aren’t too hard to spot. If they get you, just cover them in sand again, and they’ll unclench and burrow away.” 

“I just caught it.” 

She snorted. “You and half the amateur trainers who pass through the desert. Do try to avoid getting bitten again, won’t you? They can be touchy. I usually make the younger kids release them. And I’m Elisa. Miss Sokolov, to most, but Percy insists we stick to first names. Probably so he doesn’t have to share his full name. Some days, I wonder if he even has one.” 

That last remark had been said more to herself than to her patient. As for Jake, he had been right, not that it was much of a mystery. “Ward of Articuno, I think?” 

“Full marks,” came the brisk response. “I’m also one of the precious few outside of Ever Grande with any modern- or, rather, I suppose, ancient- medical skill. And you, ward of Darkrai, despite being granted powers that Percy said would render you virtually invincible, managed to get yourself injured. You’re very lucky I’m here, or this would have probably torn right back open in the battle we’re about to fight. Now hold _still._" 

_Virtually invincible?_ “What did he say, exactly?” 

“Ask him yourself and schedule off an afternoon for the answer.” 

You too, Elisa? 

Jake had felt him warp in. So, evidently, had she, as she didn’t even react or turn to face him when she responded. “Yes, me too. You claim to be a storyteller, but I can’t help but wonder who could possibly have the time to listen to you. And don’t distract me by arguing.” 

Percy dismissed his Mirage. When he spoke again, his voice was normal, if teasing. “Yes, ma’am.” 

One last surge of Nova’s power, and Bernard joined the assembled wards. Elisa finished her work, and Jake stood up. There was still some stinging, but it wouldn’t bother him much. 

“We’ll have to go any second, Jake. Time to say goodbye.” Percy nodded at Maris. The Lucario inspected him very carefully before turning to her trainer. 

I could sense him for a moment, but the moment he dropped Mew’s image, he vanished again. If you don’t mind, please ask him. I’m quite curious about it. Oh, and good luck. 

Jake nodded, and withdrew her. Turning to the other three wards, he asked, “So. What do I do?” 

Percy opened his mouth, but Nova cut him off with, “Whatever the fuck you did to break that Aqua commander would be nice. Preferably, at the ward of Rayquaza. That would more or less end this whole thing.” 

“I… don’t remember what I did.” That was a lie, and it caused Jake pain to say. He’d pieced together enough of the fractured memory to know that he’d, without any apparent effort, reached into Shelly’s mind and found what would hurt her most. Then he’d forced her to think about nothing else until she… well, Nova had said it… _broke._ He didn’t want to do that again. To anyone. Ever. He’d told Darkrai as much. 

If the others knew he was lying, they didn’t give it away. The ward of Palkia give him a skeptical look, but the rest appeared sympathetic. “That’s fine,” said Percy. “They’ll likely be sending the copy of Mew after you. They have no idea what you can do, and that’s their best way to find out without endangering one of their own.” He frowned before continuing. “And they probably think it might work against you, since it might not show fear in a way they recognize. The ward of Rayquaza is using it like a _thing._ The sad part is, Pokemon, even twisted ones like that, tend to become what their trainer thinks of them. Poor creature. But you will have to fight it. I’m sorry, Jake.” 

“Fine, but what _exactly_ do I…” 

“Just distract it. Evade. It shouldn’t be difficult. Figure out what you can do. And if it tries to engage someone else, keep it busy. We’re on the defensive here, remember. Our goal is to make them back off, which means, Nova,” the wards’ leader looked at his second in command, “that you _let them go._” 

The ward of Palkia shrugged. “Not like I have much of a choice.” Percy kept his eyes on her for a moment longer than necessary before turning back to the newest ward. 

Jake, for his part, was confused. “I thought I changed that. Don’t we have an advantage now?” 

“Not quite,” said Elisa, not unkindly. “Give it time. We have to commit at the right moment. Be precise. Exact. Surgical.” 

A mock gasp came from the source Jake would have least expected. Percy raised a single eyebrow. “Was that a _pun,_ Miss Sokolov?” 

Without the slightest change in expression, the healer answered, “Absolutely not.” 

“Look alive, all of you,” Nova snapped, and her Mirage burst to life. The others followed suit. After remembering himself, Jake did too, the traces of shadow solidifying. 

I don’t know how long we have until- 

She stopped midsentence. 

There you are, _Colin._

A pulse of energy flowed from her into the ground under their feet, and the wards fell into a battlefield. 

The lake trio were already under fire. Quite literally, as the ward of Entei tried to separate them. Fighting at their side was another beast, a speedy yellow blur that was probably Raikou’s ward. And behind them, were a cluster of other figures who had just emerged from their own portal. 

Jake got a glimpse of the man in front- tall, pale, alarmingly thin- before his Mirage solidified enough to cover his features. A steel crown framed his head. Dialga’s ward… or likely “Colin,” the name Nova had spat out with such vehemence. The two syllables had carried a rage that reminded Jake not to piss off the champion contender. More than he already seemed to by existing, anyway. 

There was no time to get a good look at the rest of the unknown figures, because the ward of Rayquaza’s Mirageform lit up the day. His brilliance made a fool of the sun, like he trying to tear a hole in reality. He wasted no time in sending a beam of energy directly at the four clustered wards, trying to wipe them out before they could get their bearings. 

Percy’s barrier appeared, the laser ricocheting off the shimmering pink wall and into the sky. 

Thirty-one times, Raymond, you’ve tried that. And thirty-one times, I’ve stopped you. 

The only response the ward of Mew received was a roar, and the two leaders engaged each other. As their duel spiraled upwards higher and higher into the air, the other wards charged. Everyone else knew what to do, and Jake was left behind as the world around him exploded into noise and color. Before he could react, the ground rose up to meet him. 

Now, usually, this is a clever way to say that someone fell down. But in this particular circumstance: 

Uh, Bernard? 

Whoops. Sorry, kid. 

The wall of earth dropped with a hideous grating sound, revealing the creature he remembered from Larka’s memory barreling at him, moving swiftly but robotically. It raised a glowing three-fingered hand and swiped down at him. 

Jake responded without thinking, and an explosion of darkness enveloped him and his attacker. The Pokemon’s blow tore right through where he had been. Or, in a way, where he still was. 

Once again, he occupied a sphere of shadows, one in which he had complete knowledge and control. They pushed back against the intruder- if it had been a lesser Pokemon, it would have been destroyed already- and Jake was… anywhere he wanted to be. 

Alright. I can work with this. 

To speak, he had to have a mouth (or at least he assumed so) and to have a mouth, he had to have a physical form. Something solid had materialized to the creature’s left, and it pivoted to strike at the new apparition. 

Once again, it didn’t land. Jake was already gone. He felt every movement his opponent made, easily able to dodge. Well, not dodge exactly. More just… decentralize from the target location. It seemed to realize this and let out a pulse of psychic force in all directions. 

That, too, did nothing, because at the moment he wasn’t anywhere at all. Elisa was right. He was damn near invincible. But what could he do to fight back? 

He knew what his powers _wanted_ him to do. Like it or not, he knew what frightened this being. He could pick up whispers of fear from every- wait, no, nearly every- participant in the battle. But limiting himself to the creature in front of him caused two images to swirl through his mind. One, a face he hadn’t seen in such detail before. A person who he had just seen and who wasn’t very far away at all but had been covered up by the overwhelming aura of his Mirage. This Pokemon was afraid of its own trainer, which enraged Jake so much that he almost wanted to duel Raymond himself. 

Almost. For now, he’d let an apparently totally unafraid Percy handle the laser-slinging dragon, thank you very much. 

The other was a familiar face, and its presence confused Jake. Why would this monster who could match a ward’s power be afraid of _Maris?_

Then it hit him, with enough force to destabilize his abilities. And shortly thereafter, so did the creature. 

It wasn’t pain Jake felt at the blow which would have shattered a normal human’s skull. It was more like… strain, or a fraying rope. It had hacked away at his link with Darkrai. His Mirage rippled. 

Then he felt himself suddenly focus. But it wasn’t natural. Something had taken hold of his stuttering will, his shaken emotions, and swirling memories, and realigned them. It didn’t override them, or change them, but let him process what had just happened and concentrate again in a matter of milliseconds. Accompanying the intrusion were rapid flashes of blue, pink, and gold. 

_The trio,_ he realized, as he let his powers flow into his surroundings again. So that was what they did. Or, at least, part of what they did. That was useful. 

He faced down the being who had destroyed his best friend’s home and people. The being who remembered doing so- or at least, remembered one of them, who had defied and damaged it- quite well. It wasn’t Maris it feared. It was _Briar._

Jake knew what he could do. What he had the option to do. He could force the creature to live in that horrible moment, where it had nearly been destroyed by the vengeful Lucario. He might even be able to materialize an illusion of her, to torment it. Or, changing tacks entirely, he could make it believe that the full wrath of the ward of Rayquaza was about to be turned on it. There was a good chance that such a thing had happened before. 

But he refused. That was, frankly, unbelievably fucked up, and he wanted no part in it. Even if this being was evil as they come- even if his resistance resulted in the destruction of reality- he would _never_ go to such lengths. To do so would betray the moral compass he’d clung to for those seven years, the beliefs that had kept him alive and sane in his captivity. 

He allowed himself to appear. The Pokemon watched him warily, no longer willing to waste energy on fruitless attacks. Jake didn’t fear taking his eyes off it. Sight was the least useful of his senses at the moment. He’d know when it made a move. Instead, he took a few seconds to look at himself. 

His fingers were talons of shadow. Claws. Maybe not what he was supposed to use, and it still didn’t sit well with him, but if he had to… 

As the pale creature lost patience and took a step towards him, Jake shifted the core of his being to directly behind it, rematerialized, and tore at its exposed back. 

It let out an unearthly shriek, replying with another omnidirectional wave of force. But Jake had already faded again. He wasn’t stupid. If he could make contact with it, it could make contact with him in those moments. He had to be fast. 

The ward of Darkrai had seen his closest companion fight hand-to-hand dozens of times. He copied her movements with the aid of his powers. Instead of Maris’s heavier, direct blows, he favored landing one swipe of his talons and then slipping away. He wasn’t sure it was really doing anything. This was annoying and hurting it, but not doing very much in terms of actually defeating it. 

How long this went on for, Jake had no idea. It could have been thirty seconds. It could have been twenty minutes. Outside of his sphere of influence, two winged figures clashed in a storming sky, the earth itself rebelled against an individual’s attempt to form an army, three fairies danced around three beasts, time and space struggled to keep each other in check, and two old rivals clashed yet again, raining devastation upon the forest below despite the best efforts of one. 

Space receded abruptly, but only to let time fly. Behind his own foe, a portal forced its way into existence. Jake could have shut it down, overwhelmed it with his own presence. He was tempted to. The Pokemon was beginning to show some weariness, and he had only taken a few glancing blows. But remembering Percy’s directive, he relented. 

And in no time at all, the enemy wards were gone. 

Jake dispelled his Mirage. Elisa lighted down, wings dissolving. Bernard leaned on his cane, looking tired after dealing with the endlessly multiplying ward of Celebi. The lake trio collapsed in a heap, hugging each other. And, showing no sign that he was winded in the slightest, Percy warped back to the ground. 

“Not bad, kid. You didn’t get wiped out immediately. Looks like I owe the trio a batch of cinnamon buns.” 

For some reason, what caught Jake’s attention most was that last line. He stared at the ward of Palkia, who had ended up behind him. Their respective duels must have been right next to each other. “You bake? Like… habitually? On the road?” 

“No, dumbass. My father does. At home. I visit pretty often, now that I have a goddamn Wailord I can get a quick lift from.” 

“You don’t portal there?” 

Nova shook her head. “I try not to waste my powers for nonsense like the rest of you, they take time to build up. The Dialga ward and I work differently from everyone else. Percy explained why once but I didn’t listen. Good thing is, that means there won’t be another battle for a couple weeks while he recharges.” 

Jake couldn’t really bring himself to get annoyed about the idea that she’d bet against his survival. It was about what he’d come to expect from her. “Where did the other wards go?” 

“Into the past, remember? That’s how we knew something was up.” 

“Oh. Where did they come from?” 

“The future. Could be an hour, could be a couple days. Probably not more than that. The Dialga ward didn’t seem like he’d exhausted much power getting them here, and while Raymond can’t teleport, he can move himself and others pretty quickly.” 

“Can’t we just-” 

“_No._ Paradoxes, kid. I don’t know what would happen, but I don’t think it would be good. I’ve fought that stupid white scarecrow enough times to know that even _he_ fears messing up like that. If you’re going to insist on bothering me, ask less stupid questions.” 

He looked around in case there was someone to ask who didn’t call him _kid,_ but everyone else seemed busy. The trio were having another silent conversation. Minerva, he noticed, looked a decent bit more fluent than when he’d last seen her. Percy was talking to- well, _at_\- Elisa and Bernard about something, and the ward of Groudon’s low chuckle could be heard above the chatter. Jake still wanted to question Percy for Maris, but it’d have to wait. In the meantime, he may as well just ask the ward in front of him, despite her consistent and inexplicable hostility. 

“So, um. What’s the whole key thing, anyway?” 

Nova looked down at him, figuratively and literally. “Some weird shit Percy has us doing. He said…” She took a moment to gather her thoughts. “It’s a way of ‘overriding the gods.’ Apparently they don’t know about it, or, uh, can’t? Whatever. Be glad you asked me and not Percy, he took like a fucking hour to get to the point and none of it mattered. But uh… first there was the cavern puzzle, which unlocked the temples. We beat one of them- oh, the shrines have these stupidly-strong Pokemon guardians, but we’re stronger- and got, well, a key. Here, kid, take a look. He told me I was best suited to hold onto it…” 

Nova opened her one complete hand, and suddenly there was a key lying in her palm. It was large and old-fashioned, the kind of key that might be awarded as a representation of something or other rather than a simple tool for unlocking doors. It was a deep green, almost black, and completely smooth and flawless, save for some symbol etched into the handle. 

The next two seconds felt like they happened in slow motion. Out of a desire to inspect it more carefully, Jake reached for the proffered key. It seemed… _wrong_ somehow, like something dangerous, something unsettling. Nova was holding it just fine, though, so it must be his imagination. 

A wave of terror slammed into him from a source he’d never felt before. 

Percy looked like he’d been struck by lightning, and the sheer panic in his eyes as they darted between the key and Jake was enough for images of his fear to reach the ward of Darkrai even powered down. Nothing distinct, but two pictures were dancing around in Percy’s head. Just little geometric designs, really. One was a rounded spiky shape matching the one on the key, the other consisted of two flowing vertical streaks. The idea of them being together was enough to frighten this man who had never once shown fear of any kind while fighting a power-mad demigod. 

The ward of Mew began to shout something, but Jake was already jerking his hand backwards. However, as the first syllable rang out, Nova jumped, and Jake’s finger brushed the surface of the key. 

There are many different kinds of pain. The fleeting burst of shock and suffering just after an injury. The dull ache of a wrong which cannot be mended. The torture of unwanted knowledge, of having the answers and being powerless to change them. All of these, Jake had experienced. Some of them had defined his life. 

What Jake felt in that instant was something entirely new. Starting from deep within and spreading outward quicker than a thought, each nerve caught fire, froze, then burned again. He fell like a marionette with its strings cut, agony overloading every neuron. The ward was unconscious before he could make a sound. 

  


“He’s not physically harmed as far as I can tell save for a single burn on his finger,” came Elisa’s voice as Jake’s mind knitted itself back together. “But his pulse is slower than I’d like, and he’s not reacting to anything. If he doesn’t wake up soon, I’m making _you,_ ward of Palkia, take him to Ever Grande. Percy, for the fourth time, what happened? I know you know.” 

The ward of Mew didn’t answer, but Nova offered an explanation. “Kid was just too weak to handle it. Percy wasn’t wrong, this thing ain’t easy to hold onto. But I can deal. Clearly he couldn’t.” 

“Then _why_ did you- that’s nonsense, anyway. You two aren’t that different, whatever your problem with him is.” The contender made a sputtering noise of resounding disagreement, which went ignored. “What are these keys, Percy? Really?” 

The bickering went on, though at no point did Percy say a word. Eventually, the chaos was interrupted by Minerva’s unusually timid voice. “He’s awake.” 

Silence fell, and Jake could feel every eye on him. Slowly, sluggishly, he got up. 

He felt shaky, and weak, and strangely… _unmotivated,_ like whatever made him bother to get up in the morning had been neutralized all at once. Everything just seemed dull, lifeless, and empty. 

Elisa gripped his shoulder. Usually, he would have flinched at the unwanted contact, but instead Jake just stared at the hand until she withdrew it. “Are you alright? What happened?” 

“I’m fine,” he answered, his voice hollow. 

“Bullsh-” 

“Elisa, please give it a rest,” interrupted Percy. She rounded on him, giving him a glare that would have made Nova retreat, but the ward of Mew was unfazed. “He’ll be fine. He just… Nova, I had you hold onto the key because I was absolutely certain nothing like that would happen to you. Don’t let anyone else touch it. Though I don’t think anyone here would react anywhere close to as badly as Jake.” 

“And why, Percy, is that?” rumbled Bernard. 

The leader of the wards shook his head. “It’s… such a long story, and there is no time. I’m sorry. But Jake really will be alright. Nova, send everyone else home. Please, we’ll discuss this another day. We need to leave before the other wards show.” 

Soon enough, despite some mild protesting, there was just Nova, Percy, and Jake left. Percy was staring off into the forest, gazing sadly at the patches of rubble where he had let Raymond’s blasts touch the ground. 

Seeing the swathes of destruction, even the most arrogant ward’s face fell. “It’s… it’s not your fault, P,” said Nova. “It’s his. You did your best.” 

“Someday, my best may not be good enough. I can’t compete with Rayquaza’s ward. Not really. If he ever truly understood that, if he put his full effort into a single attack, he would shatter my defenses and wipe me out. Not to mention leave a crater the size of a city.” He sighed. “Give us some space, Nova.” 

The sound of the ward trying not to comment on that particular choice of words was earsplitting, but she managed to keep her mouth shut as she retreated. Appearing not to have noticed anything, Percy turned to Jake. 

“I know what you’re feeling right now. I’m sorry. You will feel better with time. A few hours, probably. Don’t ask me to explain, though in the state you’re in, I doubt you care enough to.” 

Jake said nothing. Percy was right, he didn’t care at all. His ability to care had been negated. It was a horribly familiar feeling. Yet, it didn’t affect him very much, at least for now. There wasn’t enough of _him_ to be affected. 

“Can you speak?” 

“Yes.” 

“That’s good, at least. I will understand if you are angry, later. I will explain what I can, if you ask it of me once you are feeling more… alive.” 

Something in Jake’s memory sparked. If it had been his query, he wouldn’t have bothered, but this was important to someone else. It mattered far more than his own questions. 

“Percy.” 

“Yes?” 

“Why can’t Maris sense you? She says that it’s like you don’t exist.” 

Percy went through a number of subtle expressions very quickly before settling on sadness. “I… did not realize that was the case. I am sorry if I scared her.” 

“But why?” 

“I can’t answer that.” 

“Can’t because you don’t know, or because you do know but won’t?” 

Percy looked incredibly uncomfortable. “Neither. I know, but I _can’t_ tell you.” 

Maybe in a different mood, Jake would have pressed further. But he was too tired to fight this. “Alright. Is it something I need to worry about?” 

“No.” 

“You promise?” 

The ward of Mew met Jake’s eyes. “On my life.” 

Then, with a brisk wave goodbye, he summoned his Mirageform and teleported away. For the first time, Jake wondered where he went. 

  


Nova’s portal closed behind him, and Jake frowned as he examined his surroundings. He’d said “northern desert.” Whether Nova had misheard that as “north of the desert,” or had decided that he wouldn’t be able to handle the remaining trek in his condition, or was just fucking with him again, he had been deposited well out of the arid region. This was the ashlands. 

A quick check on his Nav confirmed that he was at least a week’s travel north of the desert. A decent bit, but directly, east of Fallarbor. Okay, Nova. Whatever. 

He glanced at the volcano, and it still looked wrong. Almost right, but… if he’d been allowed to travel at his own pace, he might have identified the view he had been used to as a kid. And maybe, then, he’d have found something. 

Jake didn’t think he’d lived in the actual volcanic zone. Mt. Chimney was active on and off in periods of a few years, according to his Nav. Never violently, but leaving certain areas perpetually covered in ash and scarred with remnants of slow-moving lava flows. Right now, it was idly smoking, as it did in its off-years. 

No matter. He’d figure it out on the way back, after spending time at Meteor Falls like he’d planned. 

He wandered on his own as the world slowly returned to normal. By the time he started to miss the company of his Pokemon, he also realized how foolish it was to be without them. Not that he hadn’t known that, he just hadn’t acted on it. He did so now, releasing Katrina and Maris. 

In seconds, it became clear that even the Combusken knew something was wrong with him. She was looking at him with concern, feathers rustling. Maris, of course, would have known with her eyes screwed shut. 

Jake, what happened? 

“That’s a very good question.” 

  


As they settled down for the night, Jake was feeling almost normal. A little drained, maybe. He’d had to calm Maris down, the Lucario demanding he make Nova take her to Percy to get real answers. As for Jake himself, he actually found that he still trusted Percy, despite his friend’s protests. The ward had sounded completely honest and sincerely caring. Whatever secrets he kept, he was keeping for a good reason. 

There was something he needed to do before he slept. Jake retrieved the ball containing the newest addition to his team and took a deep breath before releasing its occupant. 

“Hey there- OH NO YOU DON’T!” 

The Trapinch didn’t have enough of a face to have a comprehensible expression, but Jake saw it mentally running the numbers on its chances of successfully biting something that its jaws had just phased right through. It cocked its head and made a little creaking sound. 

Moments later, it tried to bite him again anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s like how the One Ring turns you into a feral bastard, except this magical object just makes people extremely depressed. Or, maybe just Jake specifically? May be contender for the shittiest boss loot drop ever conceived.


	13. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme: [Memory](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eijdNQMYikY)

Space and time distorted wildly as the wards of Dialga and Palkia dueled. Portals were opening up and vanishing too fast to track, Nova’s opponent matching her precisely. Neither could land a hit on the other, but neither could they afford to drop their concentration to aid their allies. Beads of sweat gathered on Nova’s brow, whereas the ward of Dialga was as calm and cold as ever… or was that just a hint of strain on his face? This battle was going nowhere fast. 

The lake trio were a sight to behold. They floated at each other’s side in Mirageform, their auras streaming together. They danced their way through the battle, causing havoc for the enemy where they went. Minerva’s aura flared, and just for an instant, the ward of Suicune stopped in her tracks, unsure of where she was or what she was doing. Bernard took the opportunity to sink the beast waist deep into the ground. Elisa was struggling against the wards of Zapdos and Raikou, and it was getting to her. She had been forced to the ground. Her Mirage was flickering, her concentration failing. And then Nadia’s power surged, and Elisa stabilized, her face becoming calm. When the ward of Raikou charged again, fast as lightning, she elegantly sidestepped and encased her foe’s feet in ice. Then there was Percy fighting Raymond. A terrible clash, to be sure. The ward of the sky dragon was relentless, firing off laser after laser with no concern for his own safety. But while Jess kept watch, Percy never wavered for an instant. He took every blow and returned it in kind. 

And Jake faced, for the first time, a human ward alongside what he now thought of as his usual Pokemon opponent. 

The enemy wards had done something new. It was Jake’s fourth battle, and each one had gone more or less like the first from three months ago. Sometimes the targets of the other wards had swapped, but they’d never pitted anyone else against him. His refusal to use most of his powers helped him, there. They still didn’t know what he could do, and had been afraid to risk losing a ward. 

Raymond must have gotten sick of waiting. For the first time, the beast trio- Suicune, Raikou, and Entei- were split up instead of working together. They were definitely weaker alone, just as the lake trio were, but being able to pressure different targets made up for it. 

Of course, leaving the lake trio unoccupied had its consequences. But Jake was distracted from considering them as he narrowly disincorporated in time to dodge a spurt of lava the Entei ward had summoned below his feet. 

He couldn’t help himself, and starting thinking again. Had the ward actually fractured the crust of the planet, or was it an illusion of Life, though no less deadly for it? 

Was there actually a meaningful difference between those two things? 

He’d had time to ruminate on such topics in the previous battles, too. Now that he knew what he was doing, it was… well, almost boring. He really was almost impossible to harm. Fear cannot be pinned down or fought in any meaningful way, only struggled against. Of course, he couldn’t do much to anyone else, and if they were smart, they could leave him without an opening to strike. Visions of his opponents’ fears still flashed before his eyes, but Jake disregarded them entirely. Despite Nova’s grumbling, he’d held onto his promise to himself to not use them. He had informed Darkrai that he wasn’t going to be her torturer, and her torturer is what he wouldn’t be. 

As he’d decided how he wanted to wield her powers, they had adjusted to his expectations as she’d implied they would. His claws were more distinct, larger, sharper, and he could tell he was hitting harder. But still, he was only ever going to win like this by battle of attrition. 

Battle of attrition it was, then. He avoided attacks effortlessly, and the ward and the Pokemon both were getting more and more tired. The former was also showing clear annoyance. Her Mirage had flickered once or twice, and Jake had seen what looked very much like a Magma outfit underneath. That figured. It also meant if Nova knew where the Magma base was, she might be able to find a way to isolate the ward and take her out. He’d have to remember to tell her after the battle. 

Jake had remained cool and calm despite the revelation that one of the criminal Teams still had a ward on their side. The trio had helped with that. In fact, he suspected that leaving them to their own devices was the worst mistake Raymond could have possibly made. Today wasn’t going to end in a stalemate. 

This didn’t go unobserved on the other side. From his many vantage points the ward of Celebi saw clearly the chaos the lake trio was inflicting upon his allies. His doubles moved to engage them directly, sending a wave of psychic force from multiple sides. Without even looking, the trio slipped through it as a unit and stayed their course, wandering about the battlefield almost at random. It wasn’t until they were upon him that the ward of Celebi realized that they had been weaving a web of power around him, cutting off his connections with his doubles. The duplicates flickered and vanished, leaving him alone. 

Nadia, Jess, and Minerva now focused their full attention on Celebi’s ward. The other wards felt their watchful eyes leave them for a moment, and raised their guard. The ward of Celebi, too, summoned every last scrap of power he could muster and prepared to defend. Sprouts erupted from the ground to defend the nature spirit. Spectral vines rose and swirled. Even trapped as he was, he began to flicker, as if at any given moment he may or may not be there. 

It was a futile effort. Individually, each of the lake spirits could do very little. United, they were a match for Dialga or Palkia themselves. Celebi stood no chance. The ward’s Mirage was beaten down, broken. And as it began to dissolve, he found himself unwilling to fight on. And furious at his teammates for not helping. And unable to remember why he even thought this was a good idea in the first place. 

He closed his eyes. 

Everyone felt the power of Celebi leave the battle. The ward was gone, defeated. His pull on the Lifestream vanished. 

Raymond screamed in rage, letting loose a burst of power that sent Percy flying. And then another. And another, each stronger than the last. 

Jake felt the world bend itself toward the figure in the sky. He was summoning more energy than he ever had. Surely, Raymond couldn’t be _that_ powerful. The man would burn himself up any second. 

But no, the mass of brilliant green grew and grew until it had the attention of every ward on the battlefield. Only Nova and Colin maintained their concentration. Jake had to do something. 

He hadn’t pushed himself very far with his powers in any of these battles. But from watching the others, he knew there was a limit to what he and the others could output without destroying themselves. According to Percy, Raymond was constantly pushing himself to the limit of what his body could take. Bernard had toed the line in the second skirmish and passed out for an hour. Elisa had been worried sick over the older man. Something about a heart condition. And, of course, Jake remembered how he had felt after wiping out Shelly. No one had mentioned it until later, but apparently, he’d been unconscious for almost an entire day. 

Jake had dared to hope that his powers would work better in this situation. The brighter the light, the darker the shadow, and all that. But no. As his sphere of darkness expanded over the battlefield, enveloping friend and foe alike, he had to fight for every inch. Against both the other wards, and the onrushing tide of Rayquaza’s energy. It _burned_, pain and fire blossoming in his veins, but he pushed onwards. 

He only just managed to cover the farthest ward, a stunned Percy, when Raymond’s rage was unleashed with a shriek. 

His darkness was not a shield. If it had been, trying to block such a blast would probably have ended him on the spot. But it did diffuse the attack, weakening it somewhat, and giving his fellow wards a precious extra second to respond. 

Bernard disappeared underground. The trio joined hands and projected a weak barrier of their own. Elisa swooped down and reinforced the multicolored sphere with ice. Percy managed to warp over and lend his aid. The enemy wards, too, took what cover they could, probably hoping that Raymond had enough control to avoid destroying them. 

The only wards that did not respond were, once again, those of time and space. Their own duel was shield enough, and neither dared to let the other open a portal to redirect this power for their own ends. 

As the cataclysm struck in full, Jake was reminded of Larka’s Draco Meteor. It seared away his shadows in seconds. Though he retained his ghostly form, avoiding a wave of energy that would have certainly killed a normal human, he felt the strain on his connection to Darkrai increase dramatically. There would be no more fighting today, one way or the other. If Raymond was still able to fight after that… Jake didn’t know what would happen. 

He didn’t have to worry for long. As the light faded, Jake looked up to see the ward of Rayquaza falling from the sky. He wasn’t out of the fight for good, there were still traces of the god’s form flickering in and out, but his power was spent. If they could land one final blow… 

The roar of the blast was still ringing in his ears, but he caught Elisa’s cry as she summoned some last scraps of energy- likely assisted by the trio- and soared upward. Ice swirled around her, her wings extending as she rushed towards the plummeting figure. 

This ends, now! 

It didn’t. Her prey was snatched out of the air. The ward of Zapdos had intercepted, and he carried his leader back to the ground to where their allies were clustered. All of them were exhausted, but apart from the ward of Celebi- who was no longer where he had fallen, and Jake pushed away a terrifying thought as to why that might be- none had succumbed. 

For a few seconds, there was silence. It was broken by Nova letting out a strangled gasp. 

Jake’s face paled as she kneeled. How, he didn’t know, but she’d lost her duel. The Dialga ward was free. Every ward tensed as he surveyed the battlefield, all the powers of time at his disposal. 

After what felt like an eternity, he shook his head. Colin muttered something foul before stepping backwards through a portal and vanishing. One by one, the enemy wards were drawn through their own portals, until at last the battlefield was quiet and the dust began to settle. 

  


Jake was winded and sore. He was not, however, the worst off. “Nova.” 

“What’s up?” The ward of Palkia had flopped to the ground to catch her breath. The wards milled around, waiting for her to scrape together enough energy to send them home. 

“The ward of Entei is from Magma. I saw her outfit. That’s… not good, if the Teams still have a ward.” 

She sat up sluggishly. “Actually, they have two. Raikou and Entei both. Raikou is Aqua.” 

“_What._ You knew Aqua had another ward, and you didn’t tell me?” If they ever saw his face clearly… he shuddered. 

Too late, he remembered that Nova didn’t know anything about him or his past. She was looking at him strangely. “Why’s it matter? Shelly’s memory of you is gone, she can’t send her Team after you. Long as you stay out of their territory, they’re no threat to a ward. And Raikou alone couldn’t harm _you._” 

Right. That made sense. Nova went on. “Kid, you… did good, but you’ve gotta stop being… like this. All…” She gestured vaguely. 

Jake said nothing, refusing to meet the other ward’s eyes. 

“Fuck it. I’m too tired for this shit.” Nova sank back down. “Gonna be a few minutes still, everyone. Sorry.” 

“No problem, girl,” called Minerva, interrupting something Elisa was saying to the trio and Bernard. “Take your time.” 

“_Time_ isn’t what I’m waiting on.” Seconds after saying that, she was most of the way passed out again. The other wards resumed talking, their spirits bright after this small victory. With one exception. 

Percy stood rigid, apart from the others, staring into the distance. As he approached, the ward of Mew made no indication that he was aware of his presence. Jake followed his listless gaze to the craters pockmarking the valley where the battle had taken place. Raymond had been particularly destructive today, even before the final surge. The jungle had been demolished, leaving only a few hollow remnants of trees. It would be decades before the damage to their surroundings would heal. Hopefully all the wild Pokemon had fled in time. 

Percy was muttering to himself. Jake caught the end of it as he came up to his side. 

“If only they would _remember_,” Percy breathed. “They’re a part of this world too. They may not be tied to the energy of the earth like Pokemon, but they depend on it just as much. Those who bind themselves to Pokemon understand. But we’re all bound, aren’t we... just not tight enough.” 

“Um. Percy.” 

Slowly, the man roused himself from whatever trance he’d been in. “Yes, Jake?” 

“Where is… Celebi’s ward? Did… did Raymond’s attack…” 

“No. Nova managed to move him a ways away before it landed. That’s why she didn’t have enough power to stop them from escaping, why Colin finally got the better of her.” 

Jake’s shock was palpable. Percy turned to him after it was clear that he was too stunned to respond. “What? She’s not a _monster_, Jake. Nova can be… rough, yes. But she faced death at a younger age than anyone should have to.” He tapped his left hand, the part Nova was missing. “If she’d reacted half a second later, it would have been her head. Maybe one day she’ll tell you the story. Do not ask me, it is not mine to tell. Just rest assured that she isn’t going to let anyone, even an enemy, die. Her pride won’t permit it. As for the ward of Celebi, I’ll have Nova take him home. His name is Seth. He lives in Dewford.” 

Jake zeroed in on that last statement rather than process everything else Percy had just said. “Why do you know that?” 

The ward shrugged. “I get around.” 

Vague as ever. Percy was happy to talk about anything but himself. Oh well, it wasn’t Jake’s business. He could respect the need for privacy. “What now? Are we going to go on the offensive?” 

Slowly, Percy shook his head. “I do not want to risk anything until the ward of Giratina reveals themselves. Raymond has only been getting stronger, and if they surprise us again like they did in the cavern… we will lose. We need to find the other keys and end the struggle that way. I presume you’ve been searching?” 

Jake nodded. Somewhere powerful, where Pokemon do not go, where Life naturally exerts pressure. That was the description he’d been given after the second battle. In his weeks spent in the ashlands and around Meteor Falls, he’d found nothing. 

Percy sighed. “Needles in a haystack. Still, it’s the only way.” He gestured to the devastation around them. “Conflict begets ruin. We might stand a chance at outright winning a pitched battle now, it’s true. But I cannot, and will not, seek it out. I will not see Hoenn torn apart in our wake. Already, things are starting to become… unstable.” 

“What are you talking about?” _Unstable_ didn’t sound good. 

“Have you seen the Lifestream yet, Jake?” 

“…No, I don’t think so?” 

“You’ll know it when you see it.” Once again, Percy looked into the distance… no, into the Lifestream, Jake realized. “If this keeps up, Pokemon will begin to lose power and even fade. I’m sure many of them sense their sustaining force being stretched thin. I’d say four, five more skirmishes like today, and the effects will start to be noticed.” 

“What do we do if that happens?” 

“We don’t let it happen,” responded Percy. 

  


Nova had, bizarrely, returned him to the exact same place she’d sent him after his first battle. He had intended to head out of the ashlands anyway, but he hadn’t told her that. Maybe she had been too tired to focus, or maybe it was easier opening portals to places she’d accessed before and she was trying to save power? 

Or maybe she was still messing with him. If there’s one thing that this day had proven, it was that he had no fucking clue what made Nova König tick, only what ticked her off. And even that he wasn’t entirely clear on. 

A quick thought was all it took to release Maris and Seldon. Jake hadn’t needed to actually lay hands on a Pokeball for weeks. Ward or no, he was learning fast, and it stirred an emotion that he’d almost entirely forgotten, one that a certain ally of his suffered from an overabundance of. 

Pride. 

How did it go? 

“Good news: we took down the ward of Celebi. Bad news: Raymond leveled an entire forest and Percy says that if we keep fighting it could kill all the Pokemon in Hoenn.” 

Wait. What? Like any fighting at all? Is it over? 

Maris didn’t sound all that concerned. Instead, Jake realized, she was hopeful that he wouldn’t have to fight anymore. He could never hide from her how much he disliked the battles. “No. It’s not… about to happen. It could happen. We just have to be careful. Or find those shrines.” 

I hate those. 

“You were in one for about thirty seconds.” 

Yes, and it hurt- Seldon! Fly somewhere other than right in my face. Thank you. 

Jake chuckled. The Vibrava had evolved three weeks ago, and while they no longer had to worry about stray bites, he seemed determined to be as annoying as possible. Larka had a knack for controlling him, but everyone else, even Jake, was ripe for pestering. Idly, he waved away the bug as he switched to buzzing around his trainer. This predictably did nothing. Seldon settled on Jake’s head. 

“This is my life now, I guess.” 

I don’t think you mind that much. 

Jake didn’t. Thinking over the last few weeks as he plodded his way south, he realized that he had been… happy. Consistently, regularly happy. High points flashed through his mind. When Maris brought down a Steelix twenty times her size, her green blades hacking away at it until it finally collapsed. When Pallas spent an hour trying to teach Katrina how to fly, seemingly failing to understand that just because she had feathers didn’t mean she could take to the air like he could. When Larka revealed herself to a gaggle of children in Fallarbor, causing them no end of delight. And of course, when Seldon burrowed into the ground mid-battle and emerged as his evolved form, taking the enemy Luxio completely off guard. 

He liked this life, ward nonsense aside. True, thanks to Darkrai’s interference, he was moving at a faster pace than most trainers did. He had it easy. Jake had avoided mentioning how new he was to any of the people he met at Meteor Falls. Most of them had been on the champion’s path for about two years. If he really wanted to remain inconspicuous, he’d have to wait at least six months before challenging another Leader. 

Assuming the world hadn’t ended by then. Or every Pokemon in Hoenn hadn’t been destroyed. 

Quit worrying, Jake. About both those things. 

“You know what? You’re right. To hell with it. I’ll fight Watson again, and win. Maybe just… go a little easy?” 

I will not do that. 

“Fine, fine. I’ll just let Seldon wipe him out, then.” The Vibrava stirred at the sound of his name, a buzzing noise blaring in Jake’s ears from his wings before he settled down again. 

If he uses that Magneton again, I want to fight it. 

“Alright, alri-” Something caught his eye, and he turned. 

And stared. And stared. And kept staring. 

The volcano. It was _right._ This angle, this exact view… 

Jake? 

“I’m…” No. Not home. Home was… 

Home was nowhere. Home was wherever he was. Home was wandering with these beings he was honored to call friends, delighting in their every action as he enjoyed the simple pleasure of existing in the outside world. But here, were memories. 

Somewhere close, somewhere very close… he’d spent the first decade of his life. It couldn’t be far. Within a couple of kilometers, definitely. 

Dully, he recalled Seldon, the weight of the insectoid dragon vanishing from his head. If he was going to do this, he wanted Maris, and only Maris, at his side. 

Hey. Jake. Are you going to be alright? 

“That depends on what I find.” 

  


What _was_ he expecting to find? Jake could picture his grandmother’s cottage in his mind’s eye, filtered through the distortion of age and suffering. The woman herself was long gone, and as far as he knew, he had no other relatives. Had someone else taken the place, or had it been swallowed by the forest, falling into disrepair? Would there be anything left of the carefully cultivated orchard, or would the neat rows have entirely vanished, reclaimed by the wild? 

For a moment, he considering the possibility that his brother might have someone watching the place. It would be logical, and if there’s one thing that man was, it was logical. 

Jake recalled what Nova had said, and let shadows dance between his fingers. _Let him try._

He drifted through the eerily familiar forest path in a trancelike state, the Lucario padding along beside him. She was concerned, he could feel the worry through their link. Jake paid it little mind. Old memories were breaking free of the cage in which he’d imprisoned them. 

That tree… He’d climbed it a few times, though had left it alone after finding a Pidgey nest among the highest branches. He’d chased a Corphish in and out of that stream once. And this path… he’d left this way, his brother’s hand on his shoulder. 

He shuddered and banished that thought. It had taken almost eight years. But he was returning at last, to a place he could so clearly see before him… 

Jake blinked. This wasn’t a memory. The house was only a few dozen meters away. He was standing before neat rows of fruit-bearing plants. A fence of woven branches surrounded the clearing, deterring overly inquisitive wild Pokemon. And… there was movement. 

No. 

No, that was impossible. 

Jake breathed in and out slowly as he drew closer, struggling to think clearly. Was he doing this? Had his powers manifested an illusion of some kind? This couldn’t be real. He must have lost control. Right? 

No. This wasn’t any ward’s doing. He couldn’t sense any swell of power, from himself or otherwise. Besides, Maris would have alerted him. 

There was no mistaking that sunhat. Or those gloves. Or the faint humming coming from the short old woman kneeling before a sapling, tearing out weeds from the dirt. 

But she couldn’t be real. She was _dead._

And who told you that? The man you called “an excellent liar and manipulator?” 

Maris took his hand in her paw. Their connection had been growing stronger and stronger, and these days he didn’t really need to speak out loud. But Jake hadn’t realized she had access to his memories, especially the ones he kept buried. _How long have you known?_

I only know what you’re thinking about in the moment. And… since you first said his name to Winona. I know when someone is lying, even when they lie to themselves. 

“Oh,” Jake whispered. 

The soft sound carried. The woman, realizing she had company, stood up with care. “Oh, hello, young trainer! Are you lost? Or just looking for a roof over your head for the night? I know, I know, you kids like the outdoors, but there’s no shame in-” Her voice cut off with a gasp. 

It took every bit of strength he had, but Jake managed to speak. “Hey, gran.” 

  


Jake felt awkward. Everything was… too small. Or he was too big. Combining that with the mild discomfort of having a roof over his head at all, not to mention the sheer shock of everything, and he was quickly losing composure. Amelia DeSantos hadn’t yet noticed. She hadn’t stopped talking for the last ten minutes after leading him inside. In the back of his mind, Maris was trying to get his attention, but he was too stunned to pay attention to her. 

“-and when I came back the two of you were gone. Your brother could take care of himself, but you… I tried everything I could to find you. I’m old friends with the old Leaders of Mossdeep, they put the call out. But there was no-” 

Interrupting the old woman clinging to his hand like he might break apart into mist (oh, if only she knew!), he said, “How did you recognize me?” 

Her chatter ceased, and something in her eyes flared. There was steel there, hidden among the wrinkles. As he waited for her response, Maris gave him another mental poke, exasperation leaking through. “You’re the spitting image of your father, dear,” she finally said, her voice measured and careful. 

“…Why did I never ask about them?” 

“Because you were a child, Jake. Not so much anymore! I’d be happy to tell you about your parents, but first… how is your brother doing? What of Archie?” 

Cold flooded Jake’s heart. It would have frozen over completely, if Maris hadn’t just made him face that particular reality mere minutes ago. In his mind, he had completely separated his brother Archie, the one who had helped take care of him as a child, the one who taught him to read and write, from Archibald, the sinister leader of Team Aqua. He hadn’t wanted to admit it to himself. But now was the time. 

In a moment, he reflected on how strange his life had become, that his connection to one of the region’s most dangerous individuals was by far not the most important secret he kept, nor the heaviest burden he bore. If he hadn’t been chosen by Darkrai, he may well have walked a path which led him to oppose Aqua. Instead, he was facing down the forces of Arceus to prevent the destruction of all humanity. 

He shook his head to clear it. These thoughts were unsettling, and his grandmother was looking at him expectantly. “He’s alright. We’ve been living near Lilycove, I’ll be sure to tell him-” 

Maris’s voice burst into his head, refusing to be ignored any longer. 

She already knows, Jake. 

Jake looked at Maris, shocked, then back to his grandmother. The old woman had a sad smile on her face. The Lucario had broadcast that last thought to her as well. 

“Yes, I know. Archibald, Leader of Team Aqua. Humph. Boy always was a decent liar, and too clever for his own good. It’s such a relief to see he never got to you, Jake. I thought until I heard your friend speak just now that this all might have been a trick, but you… you’re really…” 

Amelia DeSantos slowly closed the distance between them, giving Jake plenty of time to object. When he didn’t, she wrapped her arms around him. “I always suspected, but four months ago, Lisa- she and her sister have been retired for a few years now, but they still take an interest in such things- confirmed it at last. I suppose you were the one responsible for them learning his name? And then… _he_ showed up here. Two months ago now, asking after you. But I played senile. I could hear the evil in his voice, Jake. Just as I heard it in… your mother. There’s so much I have to tell you…” 

She withdrew and smiled through the tears beading in her eyes. “Do you want anything? I remember the tea you used to like…” 

“I want…” 

“Yes?” 

“I want to have this conversation outside.” 

A laugh rippled through his grandmother’s whole body. “Of course.” 

  


And so Jake learned the tale of Christopher DeSantos and Audrey Velazquez. His grandmother’s son had been… a good man, at heart, or so she insisted, but regrettably simple and easily misled. Audrey was charming, beautiful, and rotten to the core, leading Team Aqua in those days. Who knows why the latter fell for the former. But she did, and Amelia DeSantos could do nothing to stop her son joining the Team to be with her. 

“Twelve years later, he was killed. Some faraway skirmish between Teams. I found out because she delivered the two of you to me. Archibald was eleven. You were barely a year old. What was I supposed to do?” She sighed. 

“Your brother was always a little off. I did what I could, but I have no idea how he was raised before he came into my care. Whatever they did… he was efficient, obedient, and silent. Always thinking. Always planning, never telling me what was going on in that head of his. When you were nine, he left for several months. Do you remember?” 

“Vaguely.” 

Her frown deepened. “When he came back, bearing a few Pokeballs which he refused to show me the occupants of, he felt… different. Acted mostly the same, said he’d been on the champion’s path, but was giving it up. A few weeks later, when I made a trip to Fallarbor, you and he vanished. I had a feeling your mother was to blame, but if Archibald is the Leader now, she is dead. Make no mistake of that. She was not a woman to yield power while she still drew breath.” 

Jake was silent. Amelia put a hand on his shoulder. “Did you know any of this?” 

“No. If my mother was alive when I arrived at the base, I never saw her. And I never asked Archie- _Archibald._ He told me you were dead. And I believed him. I’m sorry. If I’d known, I would have come straight here after I got out.” 

“It’s better that you didn’t, if he’s chasing you. And don’t apologize for something that isn’t your fault, Jake.” There was that edge in her voice again. His grandmother had been friends with Leaders, he remembered. How powerful had she been in her own right, once upon a time? “And now, if you can, it’s your turn. How angry should I be with that bastard?” 

Jake couldn’t tell her everything. Percy had impressed upon him the importance of keeping his own counsel. In his mind, he apologized to Maris. She dismissed his worries and, rather than possibly reacting to and giving away his deception, wandered away from the two humans. Jake watched her as she knelt down and began to play with his grandmother’s Paras. The little insect had been quietly weeding the orchard as they’d talked. It was good to see that the woman who’d raised him wouldn’t be alone when he had to move on. 

“…Can I swear?” 

Amelia DeSantos laughed long and hard. “Of course, dear.” 

“Then I’d say… pretty fucking angry.” 

As he told her of his imprisonment, his escape, and the path he’d chosen, Jake felt just a little bit lighter. This place could never be his home again, that was true. But he’d been mistaken about who he was. He wasn’t the brother of Archibald DeSantos, criminal Leader. He was the grandson of Amelia DeSantos, a kind, sharp old woman and, as it turned out, former contender (if not champion). That, he could be proud of. 

Pride. For the second time that day, that feeling surged through Jake, burning away the looming shadows of his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Children obviously cannot be Leaders in this world. Sorry Tate and Lisa, you’ve been displaced a couple generations. Of course, now I need to come up with a different Mossdeep Leader. Hmm. There’s one very obvious choice…
> 
> This chapter suffered from the same issue as the beginning of Chapter 8. The scene taking up the second half is so, so old that it was like pulling teeth getting it to assume a single form. Pretty happy with how it turned out, though.


	14. Lifestream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme: [Another Medium](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLsuam9o9BA)

Wattson’s Magneton was down, felled in seconds by Maris. So too had Larka gotten her revenge against the Manectric, exhausting herself but wiping the stunned canine out instantly. Now came Wattson’s third Pokemon, whatever it was. Jake had deployed Seldon to face it. 

A Jolteon emerged out of the pale blue light. Jake grimaced. Seldon’s greatest strength was his speed, relying on zipping around opponents and even tunneling through the earth to drag them under. However, he didn’t think Seldon would quite be able to keep up. The electric type was imposing. Jake could tell, though he was unsure how exactly, that it was far stronger than any of his Pokemon individually. Probably even Larka. 

So this was a third level Leader challenge. It was looking to be tougher than he expected, but Jake wasn’t planning to walk out of Mauville defeated a second time. 

Seldon too sensed that his opponent dwarfed him in strength, and he managed to slip underground. The dirt parted for him, yielding to the elemental power he had once used to create pitfalls in the desert. The Jolteon zipped around the arena, following his movements, ready to pounce the moment the Vibrava showed himself. 

Suddenly, the electric Pokemon stopped, and to Jake’s shock, plunged into the dirt too. That… that shouldn’t be possible, right? 

Wattson winked at him from across the arena. “Come on, boyo, you can’t have thought it would be that easy. This old girl didn’t forget her old burrowing skills just because she _evolved._ There’s no hiding from her.” 

What transpired in the shaking earth was known only to the Vibrava and the Jolteon, but the result was visible to everyone present. And, once again, that included a great many people. Mauville hadn’t forgotten Jake- or rather, his Latias. If anything, the crowd was bigger than before. 

Seldon was dragged out of the dirt, a wing in the Jolteon’s jaws. She spat it out before pouncing one last time. He dissolved and returned to his Pokeball. 

This Jolteon… Wattson had called her “old girl.” She wasn’t a borrowed Pokemon, caught and trained by an assistant to the Leader. She was one of his lifelong companions, wasn’t she? This was an intense step up. No wonder the majority of trainers never got past their third Leader. 

Jake was determined not to be one of them. He still had Maris and Katrina, the former only a little weary. Pallas too, but he wouldn’t be of much use here. The Taillow was still Jake’s weakest ally by far, and against these foes… 

There was some minor hubbub when the Lucario reappeared. The crowd had remembered her as a Riolu, and when she’d revealed herself the first time, a few had clapped or called congratulations. As before, Maris ignored them, focusing entirely on the fight before her. She was nearly untouched, and the Jolteon could claim the same. 

This was no time to hold back. She’d wiped out the Magneton with the same Protect and Force Palm combo as before. Against this opponent, which Maris knew to be well beyond her, she couldn’t rely on anything but her best tactic. The Jolteon was probably at roughly the same level as the Gyarados she’d battled, and this time she didn’t have the burst of power that came with evolution. She summoned her blades, causing another disregarded wave of awe from the spectators, and charged. 

The Jolteon too knew that this opponent was not to be taken lightly. She raced around the Lucario in circles, forming a hurricane of electricity. Maris was trapped, but to maintain the cage, the Jolteon needed to keep moving. It took her a while, but eventually, Maris began to pick up on her patterns and land blows with her aura weapons. Each time, the Jolteon was smacked away, but got up and struck back at Maris before the walls of lightning faded. 

The Lucario brought up her shield three, four, _five_ times with barely a pause, and her trainer began to worry. He’d been warned about what could happen if she disrupted the flow of Life into herself too often. _Remember, there’s a limit,_ Jake thought. 

Yes. 

She didn’t sound happy about it, but at least she wasn’t disagreeing. Slowly, Maris relied on her Protect less and less, even though it meant taking more hits. She growled as lightning coursed through her body, puffing up and singing her fur, but she held fast and kept swinging. 

The Jolteon was starting to slow considerably. It had taken her a full four seconds to get up after the Lucario’s last blow, but she was far from done yet. She hadn’t helped carry Wattson to a championship title, much less a Leader position, by being easy to put down. She’d keep going for as long as she needed to in order to win. 

It wasn’t very long. After her latest Protect faded, Maris flinched and her whole form blurred. Wattson raised an eyebrow. 

That’s it. Jake was pulling her back. Any more, and she’d hurt herself. 

She resisted, mentally and physically, before finally losing the argument and returning to her ball. It happened without words. They weren’t necessary, as closely linked as the human and the Lucario were. The Leader, for his part, nodded with approval. 

Jake released Katrina. If she couldn’t finish this, it would likely be over. 

The Jolteon didn’t know that. She assumed that Jake’s last Pokemon would be just as difficult an opponent as the Lucario, or perhaps more so. That was why she chose to lunge at the Combusken with fangs bared rather than rely on electricity. She could save her strength for the final battle. 

This was a terrible mistake. Wattson tried to call out for her to stop, but this time her speed worked against her. Katrina winced as the Jolteon bit into her shoulder. The Combusken’s beak opened in a cry of pain that became a screech of determination as flames coated her form and engulfed both her and her opponent in a fireball that grew to immense proportions, only just dissipating before reaching Jake. 

Katrina was done, and Jake felt rather than saw her return to him. He strained his eyes against the afterimage of the burst of flames to try to spot a stream of light returning to Wattson. Instead, he saw the limp form of the Jolteon. 

His momentary hopes that she would be unable to keep going were dashed when she struggled to her feet. The Pokemon was exhausted, battered, burned, and increasingly shaky, but there was still a spark left in her. A spark, Jake feared, that would prove enough to zap poor Pallas out of the air. 

There was nothing for it. Moments later, the Taillow regarded his opponent. The Jolteon regarded hers. At full strength, this fight would have been over before it started. Even now, the Leader’s Pokemon was confident in her victory. All she needed was for the bird to get close enough for her to strike with her remaining power. 

Perhaps sensing this, Pallas soared up, up, up into the rafters. 

And then he dropped. And as he dropped… 

He _glowed._

The Jolteon struck the shifting form with everything she had as Pallas descended, but her last desperate bolts of lightning were dispelled by the raw power of the evolution. The light had only just begun to fade when the Swellow collided with the electric Pokemon headfirst, his new bulk sending her flying. 

She thudded to the floor, and at last, at long last, dissolved into light and returned to Wattson. Pallas let out a triumphant caw before swooping around and landing on his trainer’s outstretched arm. Jake looked him over, a smile creeping onto his face. 

There was something new in Pallas’s gaze, a spark of intellect and awareness that simply had not been there as a Taillow. Maybe he’d never reach the emotional complexity of the likes of Maris or Larka, but Jake didn’t think he’d be caught trying to teach Katrina to fly again. The bird shot him a look which very clearly stated: _And you doubted me._

Jake said nothing, just laughed and ruffled his Swellow’s feathers. Gradually, he became aware of the crowd roaring and the smile on Wattson’s face. The Leader strode over, crossing the arena and extending his hand. To his own surprise, Jake took it without hesitating, Pallas relocating to his shoulder. 

“Congratulations, Jake DeSantos. That was _quite_ spectacular. Tell me, did you plan that? You’d be far from the first to instruct their Pokemon to hold off evolution for such purposes, but you don’t strike me as the type.” 

“No. I was as surprised as you.” 

Wattson’s grin somehow grew wider. “It’s those surprises that make life interesting, don’t you think? And your Swellow isn’t the only surprise here. Three Leaders defeated in under a year is extraordinary. Particularly without focusing on a particular type. I wonder how far you’d have already come, if you’d started on this path earlier…” 

“I, uh. I don’t…” Jake was thankful Maris was in her ball. Sometimes, lies were necessary, as much as they both disliked them. “I’m just lucky, I guess.” 

Not noticing Jake’s fumbling, the Leader rambled on. “You’re not quite the fastest on record, though. That would be… some girl a few years back. You know, I can’t quite remember her name. No… Noelle?” 

Of course. “…Nova?” 

“Yes! Nova. You know her?” 

“We’ve met, yeah.” And Nova must not have even been a ward then, Jake realized. Her pride wasn’t all arrogance, was it? She really did have the skill to back it up. 

“Ha! Talent attracts talent, I suppose,” continued Wattson cheerfully. 

“It _really_ doesn’t.” 

The man’s brow furrowed, thrown by Jake’s sudden change in tone. “What?” 

“Never mind.” He made a dismissive gesture. 

The Leader’s smile returned. “Well, I bid you luck. Where are you heading next? If you need to cross the channel, I can arrange a ride on the ferry for you.” 

“That would be great, thanks.” Once upon a time, Jake would have been far too afraid to leave western Hoenn. Aqua was too much of a threat, then. Now… his attitude had not changed from when he made the decision to find his old home. They could try. In the meantime, he’d confirmed from a passing encounter with Elisa that he was not restricted from defending himself with his powers if needed. Though Minerva would likely have to do some memory editing afterwards. The ward of Articuno had also threatened him with an icicle somewhere unfortunate if he got himself hurt picking a fight and she had to patch him up. He had reassured her that he had no intention of _starting_ anything. He was pretty sure that was the truth, though he had been surprising himself a lot lately. 

Jake would have liked to call his grandmother to report his victory, but Amelia DeSantos had tossed aside her Nav some time ago. “When you reach my age, you treasure what ignorance you have left,” she’d said. Besides, regular contact would be unwise, with Archibald still lurking. Jake would have to tell her when he next saw her. Maybe he could convince Nova to- no, that probably wouldn’t work. She didn’t use her powers to see her own family, Jake didn’t think she’d make an exception for her least favorite ally. Oh well. He’d retrace his steps someday. 

A few hours later, Jake set foot on the eastern shore of the river bisecting Hoenn, Katrina and Maris at his side. He took a deep breath. It would be a long trek to Fortree. 

  


There was the crack of a branch followed by the sound of something falling through the air. Jake snapped awake just in time for a white, furry mass to land on him. It thrashed, scrambling and scratching at random. 

Maris was up in an instant, shoving the creature off her trainer before helping him up. “Thanks,” Jake panted, and winced. There were small scraps on his arms, and his shirt was torn. His chest hurt where the Pokemon had made impact, but he didn’t think anything was broken. As for the Pokemon, Maris was now facing it down. 

Dawn was still a ways off, but Jake could see in the dark. That was something he’d realized abruptly weeks ago. He’d never not been able to see in the dark, at least since his escape. He just hadn’t noticed. It wasn’t as bright as day, but the Pokemon before him was identifiable despite the near-total darkness. 

It was an Absol, and it was angry. A rumble in its throat threatened to turn into a roar at any moment. Its claws dug into the ground. In response, Maris’s hackles were rising. 

Stay back. 

Right. Absol were dangerous. Although maybe Jake could do something here. Back in Meteor Falls, Jake had watched the local ranger subdue a rampaging wild Rhyperior without battling it. They had simply stared it down, walking forward unafraid until the creature gradually calmed. He’d heard stories of Leaders and other powerful trainers doing the same thing. Perhaps… 

Don’t think about it. 

“I’m thinking about it.” 

No. 

“Yes.” 

No. Learn some other time. 

“Why? I can just go intangible if I fail. Let me try.” 

…Fine. But be ready. 

She moved aside slowly, and Jake took a step forward. The Absol’s red eyes flashed, but it didn’t attack. Carefully, he began to close the distance. “I mean no harm,” he whispered. It didn’t respond to his voice, but allowed him to continue his approach. The rumble hadn’t gotten softer, but it hadn’t gotten louder, either. Hopefully that was a good sign. 

He reached out a cautious hand to the growling Absol, and he felt something odd. A sort of hyper-awareness of his environment not unlike the sensation he experienced when channeling Darkrai. Jake glanced down to ensure he hadn’t activated his powers, but there was no trace of the shadowy mist he was used to. The strange feeling remained. 

He was straining his eyes to see the Absol in greater detail, having noticed some odd irregularities, when his vision changed. The world was in greyscale, shifting and fuzzy. The ground and sky were dark, the air glowed faintly, and the trees a little brighter. Maris, on the other hand, was a beacon of light, with the Absol being quite a bit dimmer. 

He looked at himself and gasped. Coming from his outstretched hand, and to a lesser extent, his whole body, were small strands of blue-white energy. They were extending towards the Pokemon before him. And within himself, a small core burned intensely, sending out small pulses of light to the rest of his body. 

_The Lifestream._ He blinked, shaking his head, and the world returned to normal. He focused, and the Lifestream returned. 

He looked again at the two Pokemon. Energy flowed through them from their surroundings, but the Absol’s signature was inconsistent, slow-moving, and weak compared to Maris’s. Weak enough that its outline was failing in places. 

As the strands of his energy made content with the Absol, its outline began to solidify. The flow of Life within its body because less chaotic. But it was still sluggish, and no brighter. Bringing his vision back to reality, he saw that the Absol had relaxed, no longer growling, and was watching him with weary eyes. It looked… old. Ancient, even. Ragged, discolored fur hung off its skin. Its horn was dull and chipped in places. A couple claws were missing. 

The Absol thumped to the ground and lowered its head. It looked exhausted, and definitely wasn’t a threat. Why it had been in a tree, he had no idea, but he did know why Maris hadn’t detected it earlier. It must have been too weak to be noticed. 

Oh. Well done, Jake. 

“Could you talk to it? Is it alright?” 

Of course. 

Striding forward and kneeling before the Absol, Maris was quiet for some time. Jake could sense her surprise, sympathy, and growing melancholy. Whatever the two were discussing, it wasn’t happy. Finally, Maris stood, facing Jake. Her green eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. When she spoke, it was with intense precision and clarity that Jake had never heard from her. 

Her name is Lyra. She lived with an old man in Fortree. He died two weeks ago. She’s lost. She no longer has a purpose. She wants… no, she _expects_ to die. 

“And can she? Just like that?” 

Of course we can die. Far more easily than you. Didn’t you listen to Percy? We’re made up of what you call the Lifestream. We know that. You already know how we can be destroyed if our pull on the Lifestream becomes too weak or is overridden. You’ve seen it happen. 

Sadness laced every word. Jake nodded solemnly. He remembered. How could he forget? 

But we can also just give up and fade away. We know how fragile we are, Jake. That is what why we want to become more powerful. Fear is at the heart of it. I thought you would have guessed that, ward of Darkrai. 

“Oh. I… I understand. I’m beginning to see what she meant.” 

Lyra is tired. She has lived a long life, and her old companion is dead and gone. She is ready to let go. You can give her a new purpose, Jake, or you can let her fade into the Lifestream. I will not judge you, whatever you choose. I trust you. 

There were times when Jake wondered about the true nature of Pokemon. Right now, Maris didn’t quite seem like the brash Lucario he knew. Yes, this wasn’t the first time she had shown bursts of almost uncanny wisdom. She was as complex as any human, he knew that well enough. She could have as many faces as anyone else. But… she’d said once that in a way, all Pokemon were Mew. This knowledge was something she was born with. Jake had just seen the force binding them all together, flowing from one to the next in an endless river. So the question had to be asked: one creature, or many? 

Who was it offering him this choice? Was it Maris? Mew? Or the _living planet itself?_

Maris made no comment on these thoughts as she waited for Jake’s decision. 

He was tempted to dig deeper with his powers to see if the Absol was afraid. If she was truly ready to pass, she should not go fearfully. Yet even the lightest touch might sweep her away. He had no way to know. This was his call, and he would have to make it without any help. 

In truth, there was only one choice he would ever make. It was in his nature. Maybe Percy would have set this dying creature free. Or Nova. Or Winona. Maybe, they would be right to do so. Jake DeSantos, however, was none of those people. 

Letting his vision change again, he brought the ghostly impression of his hand up to the Absol’s chin and raised it so that their eyes met. His, no doubt mismatched, one in faint shadow and one tinged teal. And hers, carrying a tiny ember that could be either extinguished or allowed to grow once more. 

“I would see you be happy again, Lyra.” 

As he said the words, Life began to flow from his outstretched hand into the Absol. He had linked himself to her, and his power was now hers. 

Actually, it would be more accurate to say that he was encouraging the Life around him to flow into her, or so he observed. Humans did not rely on the Lifestream. Percy had been clear on that much. That meant that the core of power within his body was probably Darkrai’s. That was unsettling. 

Was it his imagination, or was Lyra already shining a little brighter? He hadn’t bound her to a Pokeball yet, but Jake now understood that wasn’t a necessary part of the process. It never had been. It was just an easy way to visualize the connection forming and could help younger trainers bend Life without understanding what exactly they were doing. 

Admittedly, it was also convenient. Things would get crowded in cities without the capsules, not to mention the whole problem of aquatic Pokemon. So once he deemed the Absol strong enough, he caught her and let her rest as he would for a companion fallen in battle. Tomorrow, he’d let her out and introduce her to her teammates. Hopefully they’d get along. He’d have to keep Seldon from pestering her too much. 

Maris, Pallas, Larka, Katrina, Seldon, and now Lyra. He’d learned that six Pokemon was traditional for champions, going back decades. If there was a reason for that besides the number itself being considered lucky, he didn’t know it. Jake made a mental note to look it up in the morning, or maybe ask Percy when he next saw him. 

Settling back down, a softly smiling Maris at his side, he managed to fall back asleep just as the first hint of dawn appeared over the horizon. 

  


The day wasn’t through with Jake. He had one last surprise waiting for him, though it did him the courtesy of waiting until he was awake. Until the afternoon, in fact. 

Rounding a bend in the jungle path, he blinked and did not take another step. Katrina and Larka regarded him quizzically, but he was too stunned to notice them. He’d been here before. It had looked just like this when he’d arrived. When he’d left, it had looked very different. 

For a start, there had been a chasm tearing the path in two. Several trees had been turned to ice and shattered. Ash and debris littered the ground. In the distance, there had been smoking craters, remnants of the fury of a demigod barely in control of his power. 

This had been the site of a ward battle. His second, he believed. Jake tensed. Was this a trick of some sort? Or was he just remembering incorrectly? 

He dropped his vision into the Lifestream. No. No, this was the place. 

The damage wasn’t subtle. Patches of Lifeless void were all around- Jake flinched, realizing that one of them was exactly where he had defended himself against his Pokemon foe- and wherever he looked, the Lifestream was distorted. Elsewhere, it flowed smoothly. A calm, wide river, like the one he’d crossed a few days ago. Here were rapids and pools, the Lifestream swirling and stopping and always moving either too fast or too slow. Even the sky was wrong. Thinner, dimmer. It had been months since the battle here. If the damage was still this bad, no wonder Percy was worried. Without a word, he recalled the Latias and the Combusken. It might not be safe for them. 

The question remained. How had the area been restored? 

Jake focused on a patch of trees just off the path. He remembered it being destroyed quite clearly, the inferno that was the Entei ward swallowing the foliage. And yes, the Lifestream showed the imprint of the flames. But the trees themselves were back, and the imprint was fuzzier than some others. Blue-white energy moved through the space again, if only barely. 

The Life hadn’t been restored, but the life had been. Who could have possibly done that? Percy? Is that what he did when he teleported away? No, surely he would have said. He was always so broken up about the devastation they left behind. None of the wards he knew were capable of this. And the other wards were _trying_ to destroy everything, weren’t they? 

Weren’t they? A chill went down Jake’s spine. His brother had failed to trick him into being part of Aqua, but what if… what if Percy had succeeded where Archibald had failed? Was he on the wrong side? 

No. That was ridiculous. The trio trusted Percy, and nothing got past them. Besides, Raymond was a monster, there was no doubting that. But still… something wasn’t right. 

His initial impulse had been to summon Nova, but he decided against it. Jake would keep this to himself for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I groan about writing fight scenes, and then they end up actually being a lot of fun. Every god damn time. I have no idea if I’m writing them _well_, but hey, I’m enjoying myself at least. 
> 
> Has there been an in-universe justification for the limit of six Pokemon to a party? Besides the practical, I mean? I have one for this story, though I don’t know if I’ll ever state it directly, and it certainly isn’t relevant yet. Give it, oh, twenty chapters.


	15. Dive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme: [Song of Life](https://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/song-of-life-2)

Maris had reached her limit. 

Jake. 

No response. Her trainer stared into the horizon as he walked, captivated by what his newfound sight revealed. She pushed harder, nudging his alarmingly still mind. 

**Jake.**

And again, no indication that he was even aware of her presence. There was nothing else for it. In a single swift motion, she planted her feet, reared back, and struck her trainer in the jaw. 

The burst of pain was a shock to Jake’s senses. He reeled, barely managing to stay upright, and it snapped him out of his reverie. He looked around, not understanding what had hit him, until he felt Maris’s fury prick at his mind. It fed his own. 

“What the hell?” He had never been angry at Maris before. And, a little voice inside him whispered, it was the first time he’d been angry at anything for a week. 

You almost walked off a cliff. Again. You aren’t paying attention to anything. Not me, not the others, not even yourself. It’s been a day since you ate. Two days since you let any of the others out of their balls. You’ve been all but sleepwalking, Jake. Stop. 

“I… What? No I haven’t.” 

Maris flinched, visibly. 

That, Jake, was a lie. I know you know that. And you should know that I would know it, too. 

“But…” The Lifestream called to him again, and in a simple shift of perspective, Maris became part of it. The energy around him resonated to his thoughts. Jake knew, instinctively, that he could bend it to his will if he only knew how. If he only had the strength. 

The Life around Jake murmured to him, calling him to claim the power which had been bequeathed to him. 

Maris snarled and struck him again. He landed on the jungle floor, stunned. Below, he could hear the sound of rushing water. Had he really come that close to the ravine without noticing? 

First it was that you were checking on Lyra. That wasn’t a total lie. Then you were keeping an eye out for that ward place. That was a stretch, but I trusted you to come around. But this? I will not tolerate this, Jake. Wake. **Up.**

Her last word was followed by her raising a paw and shielding herself and her trainer from the outside world. No Lifestream. No Life at all, save what she brought with her, and Darkrai’s power within Jake. 

Ever so slowly, Jake blinked. For an instant, he was enraged. Then he felt very, very alone. Then he felt cold… but the cold was coming from elsewhere. 

The full weight of his connection to his Lucario slammed into him, and he gasped. It was as if someone had dunked his head into freezing water. For the first time in days, he felt everything that Maris felt, saw everything that Maris saw. She saw her trainer grow lifeless as he stared into nothing. She saw her best friend close himself off, obsessing over some new, strange facet of reality rather than stay here with her in this one. She saw someone who, right now, was worthy only of contempt. 

He wasn’t sure how long he laid there in growing horror at what his new power had brought out in him. A part of him- and not a small part- wanted to brush Maris aside in a burst of shadows and turn his gaze back to the Lifestream. _She’s just part of it,_ whispered a voice. _Understand Life, and you understand her. Understand her, and she becomes nothing. She is already nothing, just as she is everything. It’s so simple…_

Maris? Nothing? No. No, Maris wasn’t just an illusion, a mindless creation of the Lifestream. She was his friend. And so were the others. _They are mine,_ he hissed back at the voice, each word growing stronger. _Mine, and their own selves. Not Life’s, and not just Life._

Jake, I need to drop this barrier. Swear to me you’ll stay with me. 

Her anger had become fear. Or… it had always been fear. And he _hadn’t noticed._ Whatever was happening had nothing to do with Darkrai. It had been clouding his powers as much as his mind. 

“I… I swear.” 

Maris relaxed, and the translucent green shell dissolved. She kneeled in the grass, panting. Jake looked up at the sky, which flickered… 

It took everything he had, but he shut his eyes tight. His nails dug into the palms of his hands from the effort. At least a minute passed before Jake trusted himself to drop his concentration enough to speak. 

“Maris?” 

Yes? 

“I’m scared.” 

At long last, Maris allowed warmth and affection to seep through their link. She was relieved… and a little bit amused. 

Welcome back, Jake. 

  


It was six hours before Jake dared to open his eyes. Six hours, during which Maris patiently guided him, sending him brief images of their surroundings when his hand clenched around her shoulder wasn’t enough. He hadn’t wanted to stop walking. Moving, travelling… it meant peace to Jake. Real peace, not the vapid stillness that had been encroaching on his mind. 

Eventually, Maris forced him to rest, and he let himself look at the world again. It took several tries, and every bit of help his Lucario could give him. There was a full minute where he wasn’t sure if he was seeing from her eyes or from his, the only hint being the height. Promising to bring up her Protect again if she thought he was slipping- part reassurance, part threat- she let him return to himself completely. 

The sun was setting. He hadn’t… really noticed the sun in days. It wasn’t very distinct in the Lifestream- _no, don’t check_\- so it, along with so much else, had escaped him. 

Jake’s head hurt from focusing. There was still something inside that pushed him to open his eyes again- really open them- and see the world in that blinding light. Another voice was berating him for running from it, like he ran from everything. But the part of Jake that trusted Maris won out. Hopefully, it always would. 

How are you doing? 

“Better now, I think. And I know I’ve thought this a thousand times, but: thank you.” 

Of course. What will you do when you’re summoned again? 

Jake stared at his hands. “Not sure. I haven’t tried using my Mirageform since the last battle, I don’t know if anything will be different. But…” He hesitated. Maybe this would sound stupid. 

What? 

“I don’t think whatever’s been going on is entirely because of Darkrai.” 

Maris looked confused, and only more so when Jake tried to explain nonverbally. Some concepts were still too complex to pass between them so easily. 

How? 

“I should have known you were beginning to fear for me. Plus, it doesn’t feel like my Mirageform, and Darkrai’s energy within me wasn’t active.” He’d spent plenty of time observing that, but never actually thought about it. Or thought much at all. 

The Lucario cocked her head, considering. 

You haven’t shown traces of her either. On your face. I thought you’d just gotten it under control. But. If not that, then what? 

There was silence. 

“What do we do?” 

Ask Percy when you next see him? 

“I thought you didn’t trust him.” 

I don’t. But he’s the only one who might know. 

“Alright. In the meantime… back to normal?” 

Yes. Normal would be great. 

“If I start slipping again-” 

I’ll punch you again. 

“I knew I could rely on you.” 

Jake’s tone was lighthearted, so much so that he was nearly bowled over by the intensity of Maris’s response. 

**Always.**

  


Now that he was paying attention, it was easy to see Lyra’s gradual improvement. She looked younger and stronger with each passing day, though her eyes still betrayed her old soul. Thankfully, she did not seem to begrudge Jake for his decision. She had shown no desire to participate in the occasional battle with a passing trainer, and he had no intention of pushing her to do so. 

The Absol was a much-needed calming presence in the evenings. She, like Larka, possessed the ability to make the ever-hyperactive Seldon actually calm down when necessary. Jake had not yet managed this feat himself, despite having done so with Lyra when she was still wild. 

There was one odd thing she always insisted upon, and that was sleeping in the jungle canopy as she’d done for most of her life. As all Fortree residents did. Jake worried after her; after all, she’d fallen from her perch on the night they met. In time, however, he chalked that up to her condition. She navigated treetops on four legs as easily as Maris had once done on two. 

The road to Fortree was a long one, but eventually, Jake wandered into the jungle city. This time, he knew what to look for, and had spotted signs of human life in the trees well before reaching a spiraling wooden staircase that was the only structure coming anywhere close to the ground. Even that seemed to be a part of the tree itself. Pokemon must have helped with the construction; surely that was beyond any human skill. 

Maris padded alongside him as he climbed while Pallas, with a distinct advantage in this environment, was no doubt already waiting for him at the top. Lyra had made it abundantly clear, even without Maris translating, that she did not want to see Fortree itself again and so was stored away in her ball. 

This place is smaller than I remember. 

Jake glanced over the railing. They were at least thirty meters up, with the lowest of the wooden pathways still well above their heads. “_You_ were smaller then.” 

So were you. 

“What?” He hadn’t grown and didn’t expect to. Like his brother, Jake was on the short side. He’d resigned himself to being overtaken in height by the significantly younger Nadia Madan within the year.

You’re less skinny. But I really meant… how you carry yourself. You take up more space now. You allow yourself to. 

Huh. “Thanks, I think?” 

You’re welcome. 

Maris was right, at least about the first thing. The old Jake DeSantos would have been wheezing by the time he made it to the canopy. Now, he was barely winded. As he admired the view, a few passersby called out welcomes, but no one paid him much mind. Pallas alighted on his shoulder. _Oof._

“Hey, buddy. We’ve talked about this.” Jake shifted, and the Swellow fluttered to a nearby branch. “You’re kind of heavy now. You can’t just land on me without warning.” 

An amused trill was all the response he got. Jake was pretty sure Pallas could understand most of what he said, but he had developed a spark of mischief in his lone eye. He and Seldon got along entirely too well. 

Jake, incoming. 

Nothing bad, he knew, or he would feel her panic. It took him a second to spot what Maris was referring to, but he had a guess. His guess was proven correct when a lavender-haired, silver-clad woman swooped in from above on an Aerodactyl. As she drew close, she stood. In one smooth motion, she springboarded off the Pokemon’s back, did a flip in the air, and executed a perfect three-point landing, companion already withdrawn into one of the balls at her side. 

Wow. Should he clap? Winona didn’t give him the chance, speaking before she was even fully upright. “Jake! I thought that was you I spotted when I was scouting yesterday.” She lowered for voice. “Everything good? Aqua’s kept to the sea for the past few months, you should be safe long as you loop back west at Mt. Pyre.” 

Oh. Right. Of course Winona would ask about that. How had it slipped Jake’s mind? “I’m not too worried about them anymore, I guess. I think they’ve given up. But I was planning to do that anyway.” Idly, he wondered if that was true, after he’d rendered one of their commanders unconscious. What did Archibald think had happened? 

“Well then… do I have a challenger today?” The Leader’s voice had returned to normal volume. 

Jake shook his head. “Just passing through.” 

“Wait. Really? Are you sure?” She seemed thrown off. “I definitely won’t go easy, but I still think you’d probably win. I talked to Flannery not long ago, and when she mentioned an unnaturally strong amateur trainer with a Lucario… I connected the dots.” 

Maybe he could, but he didn’t want to draw more attention to himself than it seemed he already had. Besides, Lyra was still undecided if she wanted to battle at all, and Katrina had pushed herself to the brink (again!) fighting a random trainer only yesterday. 

“Yeah. I wasn’t even planning to spend the night.” 

“Ha. I know that feeling. The road calls! But surely you can spare some time for a chat? I would like to know how you’re doing.” She radiated sincere concern and care. 

He wasn’t sure, at first, but a warm glow of approval from Maris eased his doubts. “Sure.” 

“Come on, then. I know a place…” 

  


Winona had, to Jake’s alarm, leaped over the railing into thin air before materializing one of her companions below her. Thankfully, she hadn’t expected Jake to do the same, and gave him time to withdraw his Pokemon and cling properly to her Pidgeot before the bird lifted off. Now, the two were perched near the top of what looked to be the tallest tree in the city. The Leader settled into a groove that fit her perfectly, while Jake managed to find himself a reasonably stable position among the branches. He wasn’t worried about falling; either Winona would send a Pokemon to catch him, or if he absolutely had to, he could save himself. 

Probably. He was nervous about everything to do with Life after his experience on the way here. He put that out of his mind when he noticed Winona looking him up and down, worry showing on her face. 

“Six? Already? And you’re alright?” She indicated the capsules at his side. “Most trainers can’t handle more than three or four for the first year or so.” 

Jake shrugged, trying to play it off as best he could. “Never been an issue.” 

Thankfully, Winona didn’t press. “Hmm. Maybe now Norman will listen to me when I tell him that trainers these days are getting stronger faster. You, that young contender, those three who passed through a while back…” 

Nova and the trio, no doubt. Growing increasingly nervous, Jake sought for something to say to distract her. Abruptly, he remembered a question he’d asked himself a week ago. Who better to ask than a Leader? 

“Why six?” 

“Pardon?” 

“Why six Pokemon to a champion?” 

Winona stared at him before tilting her head and making a thoughtful humming noise. “Funny. Only someone who hadn’t grown up with it would ask such a thing. And in truth, I don’t know. Six is just…” She paused, blinking in confusion. “It’s _right_. A team of six is the proper number for a team. There was even resistance to ever having more than six Leaders. The positions in Dewford and Mauville are relatively new compared to the others, and we’re still trying to find candidates for Lilycove, Fallarbor, Slateport, and Pacifidlog. Plus a more permanent solution for Mossdeep. The current one is more of a placeholder.” 

“What about-” 

“Norman can handle Littleroot and Oldale with a handful of rangers, not much happens there. Same for Wattson and Verdanturf. And Ever Grande has its own defenses. Anyway, I’m sorry I don’t have a better answer for you.” 

“Don’t you Leaders have more than six Pokemon, though?” 

Shaking her head, she responded, “Not exactly. Our original six are the only ones that are ours alone, the ones we lend our full strength to. The rest are… borrowed, you could say. It’s complicated and requires knowing a lot about how the bonds between humans and Pokemon work. Nothing you need to worry about, really. No offense, but I don’t see you being a Leader.” 

Jake knew quite a bit about it, actually, but he decided to keep silent on that. “You’re right there.” 

“But being a champion still appeals to you? All these months later?” 

“_Yes_,” Jake breathed, and then flushed. “I, um…” 

Winona looked amused. “I’m glad, I really am. I’ll have to tell May when…” She cut herself off. It was her turn to turn a little red. 

Jake didn’t need Nadia’s powers to read Winona clear as day. “So… _is_ May around?” 

“Why would she be?” 

The Leader melted under the deadpan stare he gave her. “Okay, okay. She’s… it’s not… it wasn’t and isn’t _serious_, you know? But we kinda did our champion journeys side by side, even if she had to go a lot slower. The cost of focusing on more than one type. She was my first challenger after I took over from the old Leader, and after that…” 

She cleared her throat. “Leaders are… discouraged... from forming relationships with those directly in our care, at least until we retire. But May was never a Fortree resident, so even though I only saw her every now and then, it was something. And to answer your question, she’s gone. She left the region heading west three weeks ago.” 

Jake brightened. “She beat Juan, then?” 

“First try.” The Leader rolled her eyes. “God, she was _insufferable_. It was… kind of adorable. I had to challenge her to a proper battle just to get her to stop talking about it.” 

“And who won?” _Insufferable_ was an odd thing to call someone she clearly held a deep affection for. Jake’s mental gears were turning, throwing up a possible answer a question he’d been mulling over for a while. He didn’t like it much, but it was there. 

“…Both of us.” Winona grinned. “But she’s doing fine, far as I know. She calls me every now and then.” She considered that statement. “And by every now and then I mean most days.” 

“That sounds fairly serious to me.” 

“Shoosh.” Her cheeks reddened again. “Maybe when she comes back. And hey, excuse me, that isn’t how you’re supposed to talk to a Leader, you know.” 

“Okay, Norman.” 

She snorted in amusement. “He put you through the wringer?” 

“Something like that.” 

“Typical.” 

The two simply enjoyed the view for a while before Jake thought of something else to say. “Did Ever Grande give you trouble over me?” 

“A bit,” she admitted. “But Leaders have the final say in those situations. And I was right, wasn’t I?” 

“Definitely. I can’t… I really can’t thank you enough.” 

“Of course.” Winona smiled. “This is my favorite part of the job. Seeing people I had the chance to help take that chance and spread their wings.” 

“…Was that on purpose?” 

“Maybe.” 

  


Three hours later, he was walking with his back to the setting sun. Retracing his steps, though he couldn’t really say he remembered anything of his surroundings from the chaos of that day. Instead he was looking out for the local Pokemon that Winona had warned him were both plentiful and mischievous. 

“Kecleon, huh?” Idly, he traced the scratch on his Nav it had gotten when it was stolen by Magma’s invisible thief. In all these months he’d never gotten around to thanking Percy (or maybe Nova?) for retrieving it. 

As if summoned by thoughts of him, a thunderclap of displaced air sounded behind Jake. To his credit, he didn’t startle, only turned calmly to face the ward while withdrawing Seldon and Larka. 

“What is it, Percy?” 

“I’ve found one of the temples. We should move as soon as possible, but I wanted to talk to you first, since you weren’t there for the first one.” 

Jake inspected him carefully. Percy had sounded unusually tense, and at first it had looked like he had been about to say something other than what he did. The moment was gone now, and the ward’s calm features gave nothing away. Jake knew prying was useless, so he let it drop. “Nova was pretty vague on what it was like. Also, I need to talk to you too, but say what you need to first.” 

“Very well. The last one was a guardian of stone. This one is steel. It’s not too dissimilar to that copy of Mew you’ve fought, though a touch stronger, and with very different abilities. Namely, total control over its element. It can and will use our surroundings against us- the temple, too, is made of steel. We beat the last one mainly because of Bernard, and he won’t have nearly as much sway over this one. He was able to stop the last one from melting back into its element to dodge, we will have no such advantage here. We also have to be fast. There’s no way to know how the other wards will react should they detect us. I’d like to take no more than a few minutes. That is, a few minutes after we figure out how to activate it.” 

“Activate it?” 

Percy grimaced. “There’s a passcode. Except it’s not a word, it’s an action. Probably. I happened to stumble across the answer for the last one. This one, I have no idea. It could be some time before we figure it out. Now, what did you want to talk to me about?” 

Describing the hypnotic power the Lifestream had exerted over him wasn’t easy. Jake’s memories of it were confused, and he hadn’t needed to explain it verbally to Maris. He summoned the Lucario and she ended up doing most of the talking. He winced a couple times as she recounted how he had begun ignoring his surroundings and even his companions. 

At the end of it, Percy muttered a single word that Jake didn’t quite catch. It sounded like “air.” Then, directly to Jake, he said, “Can you do something for me? Can you call your Mirage and tell me what you see?” 

Jake hesitated before nodding. Maris, worry showing in her gaze, backed up a few paces. 

If he’d had a proper physical form, or needed to breath, he would have inhaled sharply. The moment darkness cloaked him, the Lifestream returned. Before, his vision had been dim when he wielded Darkrai’s power. Only his left eye worked, and everything it saw was tinged teal. Not that sight mattered; if shadows touched it, he sensed its every detail. Now, however, the Lifestream was clear as day to his right eye. He could see both at once. The real world, and that which lay beneath. 

The _real_ world. He knew which was which, now. 

Jake? 

He saw her question pulse through the air to him, lightning fast, from where her outline stood. 

I’m alright. 

His answer, too, travelled through the Lifestream, and its passage was visible to him. Jake made no effort to see if he could affect it. 

“Well?” 

Jake started to answer, then stopped in confusion as he looked at Percy. He wasn’t there. No, he was. But he wasn’t. His physical form was there, the already dull color of his duster muted even further by the bluish tint. However, no trace of him was visible in the Lifestream. 

To the fundamental power governing their reality, Percy did not exist. That was utter nonsense. Other humans were visible as a void, and for those who had developed the skills needed to manipulate it, a sharp, shifting outline. He’d noted how a few passersby had looked before his condition had deteriorated. Was it because Percy was a ward? No… as far as Jake could tell, he normally looked like any other human save for a bright core of power within. Right now, its energy spread throughout his form like a network of the thinnest veins, leaking out where Darkrai’s appearance covered his. 

What are you? 

The question was answered with alarm from Maris and absolutely no reaction from Percy. Instead, he simply said, “Do you think you can stay focused?” 

Jake could. The Lifestream wasn’t making demands of him anymore, and there was no draw to control it or investigate it further beyond his natural curiosity. Even that he quickly suppressed out of caution. 

Yes. 

“Then I believe the danger has passed. You did well to overcome it.” 

_Overcome what, exactly?_ Once again, Jake shoved down the question, but not before Maris picked up on it and asked it herself. 

Overcome what? 

Percy laced his hands behind his back. “We don’t have the time to get into it, but the short version- don’t look at me like that, I _am_ capable of brevity, even if it does greatly diminish the gravitas of the story- is that you and the ward of Rayquaza share a certain defining quality. I believe he was affected by a similar if not identical condition in response to the Lifestream, and be it through your own strength or your wisdom in choosing companions, you resisted the temptation where he succumbed.” 

Jake let his Mirageform drop and exchanged a look with his Lucario. Neither were satisfied with that answer, but both knew it was the only one they were getting. 

“Expect a summons from Nova in about ten minutes. Take a short rest until then.” He turned to leave, as if he needed to walk away rather than teleport. Then, he looked back. “And Jake? I appreciate your concern, but I am most definitely human. I just work a little bit differently as a ward. Every connection between deity and ward is unique, we all have our quirks.” 

He vanished. Jake and Maris both stared at the spot he’d been. 

I wish I could tell if he was lying. 

“Me too. But he’s given us no real reason not to trust him.” 

So far. In the moment when he warped out, I could tell he was hiding something. Something he was avoiding saying. 

“He certainly seemed a bit colder than usual. Like… something bad?” 

Maris fidgeted with the spikes on her paws as she thought. 

No. Sad. At least, that’s how he feels about it. I think. I only sensed him for that instant, remember. I’m still curious about that. 

“Again, me too. Wait.” He facepalmed. “I should have watched him leave. Really watched him. You know what I mean.” 

I’m not encouraging you to see through the Lifestream. But if you have to, yes, please remember next time. Be subtle, if you can. 

“I’ll try.” 

  


To Jake’s surprise, when he stepped through the portal, he found himself in the stone chamber. Had Nova sent him to the wrong place? 

No, there she was, alongside the others. He was the last to arrive. Percy finished saying something to Nova, then turned to Jake. “Are you ready?” 

“Yes, but… why are we _here_?” 

Nova responded with, “So I waste less energy. Can we get going? I’d rather not sit here explaining the intricacies of my powers, thanks.” Her tone was even colder than usual, but it didn’t seem to be directed entirely at Jake this time. Either way, it wasn’t his problem. Percy nodded at her before warping out. 

Nova closed her eyes, and a few seconds later, pointed at the ground. A portal opened and rose upward, depositing herself, Jake, Bernard, Elisa, Minerva, Nadia, and Jess neatly on the ground outside what looked like a metallic copy of the place they had just left. 

“Smooth, König,” called Jess. Nova just grunted. 

Jake had a bit of a headache now. He’d gone from the rainforest, to the desert, back to what seemed like the same rainforest in under a minute. The rapid change in humidity and temperature was playing havoc with his senses. He was glad that he didn’t have to deal with Nova’s powers. Or Percy’s. It must be so disorienting. 

The wards filtered into the steel chamber. It was indeed identical to the one Jake had seen before, except that it was still perfectly squared, unweathered by time. The metal gleamed unnaturally. Percy was pacing around the room, muttering to himself and poking random bits of the wall. 

“Any luck, Percy?” asked Bernard. The older man seemed a touch uncomfortable without solid ground beneath his feet, shifting in place more than he usually did. 

“Hmm? No, no. If all of you could assist me, it would be appreciated. Last time I was lucky to find it so quickly. Try things. Anything.” He went back to his mumbling and pacing. 

“What was it last time?” Jake murmured to Minerva as the wards scattered. 

She whispered back, “He just stomped on the floor on a random spot near the center. But…” She glanced nervously back at where Percy was. “…Never mind. Later.” 

“Um?” 

“Later, Jake.” 

“Alright then.” He split off from the ward of Uxie and began to examine the chamber for anything out of place. Anything that might give a hint as to what they were supposed to do. 

Bernard was tapping his cane on random parts of the floor, having given up trying to manipulate the metal as he did so easily with earth despite his grumbling that “Ain’t they the same damn thing?” Elisa was walking in strange patterns, backwards, forwards, looping around. Nadia was standing very still with her eyes closed. Nova was opening portals, retrieving increasingly esoteric objects, and throwing them at the walls. Jess had a flute and was playing scraps of melodies. Despite Percy saying it probably wasn’t a verbal passcode, Minerva was spouting random words and sounding absolutely mad while doing it. 

All in all, it looked… rather silly. Jake muffled a laugh and got a good look to share the memory with Maris later. Nova, currently holding a coconut, shot him an annoyed glance. “Or you could, like, actually help, DeSantos.” 

“Fine.” Closing his eyes and calling on his Mirage, he spread his shadows around the chamber. Some complaints followed, but he ignored them. It took him only a few seconds to confirm that there was no hidden lettering or raised surface or concealed lever. The metal was perfect and uniform. 

He let his Mirageform drop and shrugged at the others looking at him expectantly. “Sorry. Nothing.” As one, they groaned and went back to their tasks. 

  


A few deeply surreal minutes later, Elisa looked up. “Has anyone checked out the ceiling?” 

“Yes,” called Jake, from where he sat tapping mathematical sequences on the metal. It was the first time the scattered knowledge on varying topics from his nighttime Nav browsing had come in handy, for a given value of “handy.” 

“I meant physically. Whatever, I’ll do it.” She flashed light blue and spread her wings, a chill washing over the assembled wards. Nadia and Jess visibly shivered. 

The moment Elisa left the ground, the chamber rumbled. The metal groaned and started to warp in the center of the room. Jake leapt to his feet, too relieved to be worried about what came next. 

“Mirages! Now!” Percy barked. 

The wards complied as the floor of the chamber expanded outward, forming a bulbous rounded shape. Flowing but cold metal, like quicksilver, coalesced into a two-legged behemoth standing about two meters tall. Shorter than Jake had expected, but it radiated power that extended well beyond its physical form. Attacks could come from any direction. He had to stay focused. 

Of course, he failed at that almost immediately. 

For the first time, Jake could see his fellow wards through the lens of the Lifestream. He didn’t have much of a choice. They were, as all humans, indistinct enough that they would have been difficult to tell apart without normal vision. A single bright core burned within them, far more intense than the strands of Life that made up their outlines. They more or less resembled his own appearance from earlier. 

And he could see Percy. In fact, the ward of Mew stood out like a beacon. 

He didn’t at all resemble the others, webs of energy scattered like veins. Percy was a pure blue-white figure. Life energy filled his whole being. He had to be drawing on far, far more of his deity’s power than anyone else. Yet to Jake’s mundane sight, he showed not the slightest discomfort or hint of strain. Calm as ever, he extended a hand and summoned a burst of flame, engulfing the creature. 

Jake was stunned. How was Percy alive? Is this how he had been fighting the whole time? Is this how the ward of Mew, jack of all trades but master of none, had kept pace with the overwhelmingly powerful ward of Rayquaza? 

_I just work a little bit differently as a ward._

No fucking kidding. However, there was no time to question him. The metal beast had made a horrific screeching sound upon being struck by Percy’s fire, and its counterattack sent every ward scrambling to avoid the sheets of metal shooting up from their feet. 

Why dodge when you can disincorporate? Jake didn’t bother moving from the spot and watched as the other wards engaged. He wasn’t sure how he could help with this battle. A quick slash with his talons had no apparent effect. Then again, neither did Elisa’s ice. Bernard, too, was more focused on defense than offense; his powers were sorely limited in this environment. Percy, at least, seemed to be having some success. Fire warped and stunned the creature, but the ward of Mew could only do so much. Knowing what he knew now, Jake didn’t blame him. The ward of Palkia was in full throttle. Unrestrained by her counterpart, Nova could tear apart the fabric of space like so much paper. Unfortunately, her target simply melted back into liquid steel and reformed elsewhere when she tried. She was forced to resort to merely redirecting the creature’s energy blasts back to itself while helping the trio avoid getting pinned down. Speaking of… 

Yeah, can’t do much. Same as last time, I can’t make heads or tails of what this thing is trying to accomplish here. Any ideas? 

_irritation._

I might be able to give someone an opening to get close. The old memory trick. I don’t suppose this thing has an off switch you forgot to mention, Percy? 

I’m afraid not. 

Try catching it? 

ARE YOU JOKING? NOT A FUCKING CHANCE. HEY, JAKE, YOU GONNA DO SOMETHING OR WHAT? 

Jake winced. Nova had multiple portals open when she yelled, so it had reverberated around the chamber wildly. Once again, he was glad he didn’t have her powers. 

Not that he really liked his powers much better. What could he do here? Did this thing even feel fear? 

He drifted towards it slowly. It did not react to his presence as he examined it through the Lifestream. Elisa’s suggestion had been clever; this was a Pokemon, more or less. But it was far too strong to be caught. Even by Nova, judging by her reaction. 

Jake could sense something inside. Maybe the trio couldn’t, but he could detect whispers of a sapient mind within the steel behemoth. Despite himself, he was filled with curiosity. What was it, really? Who had put it here? Why was it fighting? 

There was a tug in his gut, and suddenly he was falling. Not down. Not in any direction he could comprehend. Darkness swirled around him, rushing by and drowning out the cries of alarm as he vanished. 

When everything stabilized, he could no longer sense the chamber or his fellow wards. He was drifting in a blue-white void. His mundane vision saw nothing, and so he screwed his left eye shut. Wherever he was, it was nothing but Life energy. An alien consciousness slammed into his, demanding to be heard, fighting back against the intrusion. Jake instinctively pushed back against it, and to his surprise, it receded with little effort on his part. Now, he had the sense that something was watching him. Not with anything so simple as eyes, of course. 

It wasn’t hard to piece it together. He was, in some form or another, inside the steel Pokemon’s mind. But it wasn’t the only voice whispering to him. The call of the Lifestream had returned. It demanded action, directly or indirectly. There was no dulling of his senses, this time; if anything, they sharpened, as little as there was to perceive. 

Jake felt an undefinable sense of pressure. This moment was important. He hadn’t been prepared for it, but Life was screaming at him to make a choice of some kind. His Darkrai-given powers and his strange connection to the Lifestream were synced. What he did now would define them both. 

It was an unwavering binary. A fork in the road. He could bend all this energy to his will, bury this being in fear and panic until it ceased to be. Curse it with all the force of life. Or he could bend to it, opening himself to influence from a power he did not fully understand. Believe in himself, or believe in the world. Manipulate, or be manipulated. 

He wished Maris were here. The two of them had been acting almost as one being for months now. Even when she retreated to her ball, or closed herself off for a time, that possibility was there; the knowledge that he wasn’t alone, that there was someone he could trust absolutely. He knew she felt the same way. Maris was everything he had grown to love about the world he’d found himself in after his escape, the world that had time and time again proven itself to champion kindness, growth, and the limitless potential of life. The humans, the Pokemon, and those who walked the path between, all working to rekindle the flame of a Fallen civilization. 

Jake made his choice. 

What do you want? 

Slowly, the answer came. The creature was confused. It wasn’t made to fight demigods. Or humans. It expected to be pitched against other Pokemon, supported by a single human. The object it was guarding was too powerful to be trusted to anyone but those who could command Pokemon strong enough to withstand both the natural pressure of the environment and the being itself. It was, in essence, a test of strength, requiring near-superhuman willpower and determination. And, if Winona was to be believed about the true source of a trainer’s power, then a test of morality too. 

They were cheating. They were absolutely cheating. At what game, Jake didn’t know, but this was not how it was meant to be played. 

The creature wasn’t angry. It didn’t understand the concept. Instead, it felt ashamed, _afraid,_ that it had somehow failed in its purpose, that the treasure it guarded would fall into unworthy hands. It knew that, sooner or later, it would crumble before the overwhelming power of these strange opponents. 

It sought answers. He would give it answers. Assuage its fears, instead of capitalizing on them. As he’d sworn, he would not be Darkrai’s torturer. He would do as Maris had taught him, as Winona had taught him, as this world had taught him. Help others, encourage their development, see them prosper. 

Perhaps it would have been more difficult, if he hadn’t grown used to speaking without words. As it was, it was the work of seconds to pour all that he knew of the pantheon’s conflict into the mind of this ancient guardian. Percy and Raymond, Darkrai and Arceus, the failing Lifestream, the keys. Some of this, it seemed to understand better than Jake did. 

As it thought, too abstract and inhuman for Jake to follow, bit and pieces of the outside world bled through. The creature had stopped moving, and so had the chamber it controlled. Percy, too, had stopped attacking, holding up a hand to forestall Nova rending the defenseless creature in two with all the fury of space. Jake hoped she would obey him. 

Finally, he felt the Pokemon reach a decision. Its proportions did not allow it to bow. But it would have, if it could. 

Just as suddenly as he’d fallen, Jake was expelled back to the physical plane. He materialized, Mirage flickering out, as the other wards stared. The steel guardian was already melting away. Fluid metal receded and flattened, swirling into a point at the center of the chamber where the Pokemon had stood. As the last ripple faded, it revealed a crimson key lying on the floor. Jake hurriedly retreated, but still managed to catch a glimpse of another circular symbol inscribed in a lighter red on the handle. 

A wave of exhaustion passed over him, and he sagged. 

“Whoa now.” Bernard steadied him, his weathered hand on Jake’s shoulder. “I don’t know what the hell you did, kid, but good work. I daresay we’d have beaten it eventually, but that thing sure wasn’t making it easy.” 

Percy strode over. “Well done, Jake.” There was a wry smile on his face. “I cannot say I understand precisely how you did that, or why you chose to wield Darkrai’s power in such a way, but I suppose that’s rather the point, isn’t it.” 

At the edge of his vision, Jake saw Nova bend down and inspect the key carefully. Percy was still facing him, and he wondered if he should divulge all that had occurred. Yet, out of the moment, the choice he had made seemed nonsensical. Almost silly. The- what was the word Percy had used? The… ah yes, the _gravitas_ of the moment had evaporated. What exactly had he done, and why? It was all so sudden, and he didn’t feel any different. “Um. Yeah, I don’t really know how to explain-” 

Wait. Nova. Was she seriously going to- 

An earsplitting screech echoed through the chamber, ringing against the metal. 

Percy’s eyes went wide and he spun around. “NOVA! I told you- _dammit._ Elisa, see what you can do.” 

The ward of Articuno rushed to the fallen ward of Palkia. Around the key, which lay unmoved, were scorch marks and streaks of twisted metal. Nova herself was twitching on the floor. 

Jake had a pretty good idea what Nova had just experienced, and while he was thinking it over, Minerva caught his eye. Her thoughts came to him in a blaze of gold: 

Need to talk. Outside. 

While the other wards clustered around Nova, the wards of Darkrai and Uxie slipped out of the chamber. Minerva led Jake a few paces from the entrance before turning to him and crossing her arms. 

“I haven’t even told my partners the full extent of this yet. But given as you’re our best shot at winning this thing, and you seem to be suspecting it already, you should be aware: Percy’s lying.” 

“Not about everything,” she clarified, the moment Jake opened his mouth to speak. “But these keys? He’s seen them before. Or the two so far, anyway. I can’t read minds, exactly. Not without focusing my full power on a single person, and even then, I can only see what they’re thinking about right that moment. But even without trying I’ll get impressions if the thought is strong enough. Seeing the first one triggered one hell of a trip down memory lane for him, and this one… Well, it wasn’t quite the same. But he had some reaction to it.” 

“But he said these keys have been locked away forever. Was he lying then too?” 

Minerva frowned. “I don’t think so? There are always some odd spikes of memory when he talks about the keys and the Fall, but nothing too extreme. But him activating the first chamber was no accident, I promise you that. He knew exactly what to do, he just fumbled around for a bit to pretend like he didn’t. And when he saw that key? It was enough for me to catch several glimpses of his memories. Someone holding the key, a few faces I didn’t recognize. Nothing substantial. Same for this one, but focused on just one face. Don’t know how he felt about it, that’s not my jurisdiction. Point is, he’s not telling us the whole truth. Not by a long shot. He’s always been one mysterious motherfucker, but Jess and Nadia both assure me he truly means well. Or, he thinks he does. I’m not sure we should take that on blind faith.” 

“Is there anything else you think he’s hiding?” Jake was growing wearier by the second. He was mentally and physically drained after his ordeal, and the idea that he might have to start really suspecting Percy was exhausting. Hadn’t he already done this? One grand betrayal was enough for one lifetime, surely. 

“…This is an odd one. It’s probably not relevant to us at all. But I’ve noticed something during battles. When he looks at the ward of Rayquaza, he sees someone else. Nadia reports that he is almost never panicked or tense during his duels with him. He’s just sad. Or, something like sad. I need to get Nadia to explain that one more clearly, she indicated there was more to it. Jess confirms he’s no less determined to fight him, though, so again, it probably doesn’t matter.” 

“I can confirm he isn’t afraid of Raymond at all. In fact… the only time he’s ever been afraid while I’ve been around is the time I touched the key Nova has.” 

Minerva stared at him, processing this, then covered her face with her hands and exhaled before lowering them. “God dammit. Is it too much to ask for a little information? It’s literally what I’m supposed to be about. Alright. I’ll talk to my partners. And Nova, I guess, since she sure as hell won’t talk to you.” 

“Um. Speaking of…” 

“Yes, I know why. No, I’m not telling you. Figure it out, dumbass.” 

Just like Larka. He should introduce the two sometime, they’d probably get along quite well. “She isn’t…” Jake didn’t know how to put this. Something had been nagging him since his chat with Winona. “_interested_, in me, right?” 

To both his relief and embarrassment, the ward of Uxie burst out laughing. “Oh my god,” she chortled. “No, no, a thousand times no. Way off mark. Frozen fucking tundra. Dude, _no_.” 

“Hey, I didn’t want her to be-” 

Still giggling, she said, “I know that, too. And that’s the only reason I’m not making a spirited attempt to kick your entire ass, DeSantos. Still not telling you, though. The girl needs to sort it out on her own. C’mon, let’s get back to the others.” 

  


Nova managed to pull herself together faster than Jake had. The most upsetting thing about that, in Jake’s view, was how she wasn’t mentioning it. Or any other smug comment. Everything she said and did as Elisa alternated between fussing over her and trying to tease answers out of Percy made Jake think of an empty hearth. A sense of lack, of glaring absence that rendered the whole structure meaningless. It could not be said of Jake DeSantos that he had a fiery outward personality; Nova König, on the other hand, was a human inferno. Extinguished, she was almost unrecognizable. 

Her hands, constantly moving, lay still at her sides. Her face was placid, missing her usual confident smile or disgruntled scowl. Her eyes, always darting around scanning her surroundings, were fixed on nothing. 

She only showed signs of life when Percy strode over to the key lying on the floor. Nova had been moved away from it, but she made the slightest effort to further increase the distance between her and the object. “Get that away from me,” she mumbled. 

If Percy heard, he didn’t show it. Instead he knelt next to the key, regarding the symbol on the handle with a neutral expression. Once again, Minerva caught Jake’s eye. 

Nadia says… _grief._

Jake’s confusion over that was interrupted by Percy speaking. If there was sorrow in his voice, Jake couldn’t make it out. “This key is the forward motion of time itself. Every branch of possibility, every alternate timeline, every choice we make, is contained within this key’s domain. But it also contains every ending. Every path to destruction, every future void of possibility, every victory of entropy. This key is merciless, and binds the one who holds it to the path demanded of them by the will of time. I will not ask this of any of you. I will take it.” 

Taking a deep breath, he picked it up and quickly stashed it away in one of the pockets in his duster. As one, the wards relaxed. If Percy had been struck down as Nova and Jake had, none of them would have known what to do. 

The ward of Mew turned and smiled. “Well done, everyone. One more, and our work will be complete.” 

“One more comatose teenager? No thanks.” Elisa was again rather miffed. “At least tell us if the last one might harm one of us. I know you know. I heard you warn Nova earlier.” 

Percy’s gaze scanned the room, visibly doing some internal calculation. Then he shook his head. “If I’m right, then none of you. It shouldn’t be a problem. I apologize, again. And as you said, I did warn her.” 

“Foolish girl,” muttered Elisa. Nova, leaning on Jess and Nadia, didn’t react. Maybe just this once, she agreed. 

  


It took a great deal of help from the trio, and the advantage of the natural power source that was the metal shrine, but Nova managed to send her fellow wards on their way within the hour. No sooner had Jake started walking again than another rush of air came from behind. “Jake.” 

This time, he jumped. Had Percy somehow heard…? But when he turned, the expression on the ward of Mew’s face was one of sorrow, not anger. 

“Can you summon Maris? I need to talk to her. I… I made a mistake. I should have said something sooner, but… I didn’t have the words.” For the first time, his voice was breaking. Jake did as he was asked. 

? 

“He says he needs to talk to you.” 

Okay. 

Jake could sense that Maris was a little on edge. He wondered how she’d react to what Minerva had said. 

The leader of the wards took a deep breath and started doing what he did best. “Nova told me about what the ward of Rayquaza did to your home. I… I need to confess. I think that may be my fault. I am so, so sorry.” 

What. 

“Percy? You might want to say this fast,” said Jake. Maris’s eyes had narrowed dangerously. 

Percy managed to do so. “That island, it’s an old place. Sacred, you could say. It’s where the keys need to be brought when we have them all. A couple years ago, when it was just me and Raymond, I made my way there to check on it. I didn’t even use my powers to get there, in case the ward of Palkia had been chosen in secret and could detect the warp. Despite my precautions, I think Raymond managed to track me.” 

He bit his lip, avoiding both their eyes. “He _hates_ me. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen such anger in one person. I very much doubt he knows anything at all about the keys, or my plan, but he must have decided that the place was important to me. So he… well. You know the rest.” 

Maris didn’t respond. She was mulling this over. 

Then she reached out and gave Percy a light rap on the forehead. He flinched. 

Stupid. It’s not your fault. Not really. It’s alright. 

Jake breathed a sigh of relief. He had been pretty sure Maris wouldn’t attack the man, but he hadn’t been totally certain. Percy, for his part, looked stunned. “Really? But I…” 

Not you. Him. And it. 

“…Thank you. Is there anything I can do?” 

Maris nodded slowly. 

You can end him. 

Percy let out a strangled laugh. “I’ll do my best.” 

You can also stop teleporting behind people. 

This time, Percy’s laughter carried a trace of exasperation. “But Elisa said the exact opposite! She made me stop appearing in front of her. I think there’s just no way to be polite about it. I’ve _tried._” 

With that, he waved a quick farewell and vanished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, what’s the etiquette for entrance by teleportation? Are you just supposed to waste time by warping somewhere far away from your target and approaching on foot? Or would that be even creepier? There’s just no good answer here. 
> 
> Winona really do be like fuck Aqua, my child now. I’m not certain how she ended up with the characterization and role she did. I just really like making the Leaders actual people, and since Winona was the closest authority figure to the Aqua base, she was the logical choice for someone to deal with a wayward, endangered teenager.
> 
> Also, shoutout to all you folks who have harnessed their plague-given free time into producing more content. Don’t expect that from me. I struggle enough to accomplish basic tasks even when not weighed down by a world that’s suffering even more than usual. Hyperempathy is a bitch.


End file.
